Christmas, Hanukkah Events In Long Beach: From Tree To Menorah Lights

LONG BEACH, NY — There is no shortage of things to do in Long Beach to get the winter holiday season off to a rollicking good start.

Christmas and Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, intersect this year, with Hanukkah running Dec. 18-26. Christmas, of course, is on Dec. 25, but you don’t have to wait to start taking in all the sights and sounds of the holidays.

• The annual Kennedy Plaza Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony takes place on Friday, Dec. 2. The ceremony is at 5:30pm on the bandwagon in front of City Hall.
• A Chanukah menorah lighting is Sun., Dec. 18 at Kennedy Plaza. The menorah will get lit each night in coordination with the city and Long Beach synagogues. Lighting times vary. It's scheduled for 6 p.m. most nights, 5 p.m. on Dec. 18 and Dec. 25, while it's at 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 23.

Christmas parades — often complete with Santa Claus, festively decorated floats and marching bands — are a holiday tradition, both nationally and locally.

Several big parades are taking place this year, including the Mayor’s Annual Christmas Parade in Baltimore City, Maryland; and the Christmas Boat Parade in Newport Beach, California.

Parades in Long Beach may not be able to match those in size, but the heart behind them is just as big. Parades to catch here at home include:

The 9th Annual Electric Light Parade. Antique cars, fire trucks, floats and bicycles will be wrapped in Christmas lights for this festive holiday parade It begins on Ohio Avenue, and heads east on Beech Street to Grand Boulevard.

Holiday lighting displays are another holiday favorite. Some to catch near Long Beach are:

• Long Beach Farmers‘ Market holds the first “Light Up Long Beach Holiday Market,” on Fridays through Sundays as well as Wednesdays during the month of December.
• Rockville Centre Holiday Lights Contest, sign-up goes until Dec. 5
• In Malverne, the Holiday Light Tour and Scavenger Hunt take place on Sun., Dec. 4.

Correction: An earlier version of this story mentioned the Target Holidazzle Parade in Minneapolis, which is not a parade but rather a collection of holiday-themed events.