Christmas, Hanukkah Events In Smithtown: Parades, Tree Lightings, More

SMITHTOWN, NY — There is no shortage of things to do in Smithtown 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.

Tree and menorah lightings in Smithtown are:

• Smithtown Tree Lighting Ceremony
  • When: 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1.
  • Where: Town Hall, at 99 W. Main St., Smithtown
• Smithtown Library Holiday Tree Lighting.
  • Where: Front lawn of Smithtown building at 1 North Country Road, Smithtown.
  • When: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2.
  • Info: No registration required. Meet on the front lawn as the holiday tree is lit. After, refreshments will be served inside, and there will be a photo opportunity with Santa. Goods will also be collected for the Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry.
• Town of Smithtown Menorah Lighting Celebration
  • When: 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20.
  • Where: Town Hall, at 99 W. Main St., Smithtown

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.

While local parades may not match the scale, there is a parade local to the Smithtown area.

• Smithtown Fire Department Parade
  • When: 4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 17.
  • Where: The starting point is the Smithtown Fire Department Headquarters at 100 Elm Ave., Smithtown.

Clarification: 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.