Christmas, Hanukkah Events In RVC: From Tree To Menorah Lights

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY — There is no shortage of things to do in Rockville Centre 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 Rockville Centre Holiday Lights Contest, sign-up goes until Dec. 5.
• The Village Christmas Tree Lighting is Dec. 1
• A Chanukah Celebration takes place on Dec. 19 at the RVC Recreation Center.

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 Rockville Centre 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 in Long Beach. 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 Rockville Centre 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.
• 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.