Christmas, Hanukkah Events In New Hope And Lambertville

NEW HOPE, PA — There is no shortage of things to do in New Hope 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 New Hope are:

• Lambertville’s Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony sponsored by the Greater Lambertville Chamber of Commerce will be held on Saturday, Dec. 10. (The rain date is Dec. 11). Festivities begin at 3 p.m. with the tree lighting and Santa at 5 p.m. Featured will be musical performances by Music Mountain Theater, Bucks County Country Gentlemen, Lambertville Brass, and other surprise guests. A special Community Tree will showcase ornaments made during an ornament making session sponsored by the Lambertville Free Public Library. The tree lighting ceremony will kick off at 5 p.m. with a few words from Mayor Andrew Nowick followed by a visit from Santa Claus. There will also be a dedicated area for non-perishable food donations for the Delaware Valley Food Pantry, a local organization for Lambertville and area residents. And to make things even more wholesome and adorable, meet some adoptable dogs and puppies looking for their forever home from Animal Alliance of New Jersey.
• Temple Judea Reform Synagogue of Doylestown and jkidphilly will host a Hanukkah event and ceremonial menorah lighting for the Jewish community of Bucks County on Sunday, December 18, the first night of Hanukkah, from 1-3 p.m. at the corner of State and Hamilton streets in Doylestown. The event is for all ages and will feature singing and dancing with Rabbi Sigal Brier and Dan Khan, cookie decorating, goodie bags, a raffle basket and refreshments.
• Plumstead Township Tree Lighting and Santa's arrival. Friday, Dec. 2 beginning at 6 p.m. Hanusey Park, 4757 Goarden Road, Doylestown. Dance performances, ugly sweater contest, Santa's arrival, tree lighting, Santa Meet and Greet. The rain date is Saturday, Dec. 3.

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

Click Here To Find Out Where You Can Visit Santa

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 New Hope 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 Greater New Hope Chamber of Commerce invites the public to the annual New Hope Holiday Parade to be held on Sunday, Dec. 4. The parade steps off at 4 p.m. on Bridge Street and will march down Main Street. The parade will feature floats from local businesses, community groups, marching bands and much more.
• During a Holly Jolly Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 3 and 4 Santa Parades will wind their way through Peddler's Village in Lahaska starting 1:30 p.m. both days. Enjoy live musical entertainment, family activities, holiday food and drink specials, and a gingerbread display. At 4:30 p.m., Peddler’s Village becomes a magical nighttime Christmas wonderland, illuminated by a million colorful lights. Shops are open until 9 p.m. on Saturday and 7 p.m. on Sunday. Free admission and parking.

Other holiday events not to be missed in New Hope include a performance by the Riverside Symphonia, a Holiday Fest at Lambertville Station and a Snowflake Festival for families.

• The Riverside Symphonia returns to South Hunterdon Regional High School in Lambertville, N.J., for its beloved "Around the World for the Holidays" concert on Dec. 3 beginning at 8 p.m. This year's presentation will bring a variety of classical and pop holiday music offerings from Germany, Italy, Poland, France, Israel, Spain, Mexico, and the USA. The concert will also feature illuminating soprano, Ethel Trujillo, as well as Yvonne Wang, who was the 2022 Caprio Young Artist Competition winner. To order tickets, visit the Symphonia’s website, www.riversidesymphonia.org or call 609-397-7300. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the gate the evening of the concert.
• Holiday Fest, Lambertville Station. Dec. 17 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Dec. 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Games, family activities, pictures with Santa, seasonal food, school choirs, more than 40 specialty vendors and food collection for Fisherman's Mark.
• Buckingham Friends School will hold a Snowflake Festival on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend this family-fun event where the school transforms its campus into a winter woodland. There is no entry fee. Families can purchase "snowflake tickets" for activities ranging in price from 1-5 snowflakes. The day's activities include: Kids-only secret shop, Pocket Gnome, Winter Walk & Games, Snow Queen with cookies and hot cocoa, tea room for stories and quiet time, performers sprinkled throughout the day, light lunch and bake sale, wreath sale and more. To purchase tickets and learn more, visit snowflake22.givesmart.com.

Holiday lighting displays are another holiday favorite. Some to catch in Pennsylvania are:

• Shady Brook Holiday Light Show, 931 Stony Hill Road, Yardley, open nightly through Jan. 8. The spectacular Holiday Light Show features more than three million lights illuminating acres of farmland. Encounter whimsical displays and familiar characters as you drive through in the comfort of your own car or enjoy the show on an open-air wagon ride.

• Lights in the Parkway in a big way through Dec. 31 (with the exception of Dec. 25). The mile-plus, drive-through light show features hundreds of thousands of brilliant lights and dazzling animated displays set to favorite music of the holidays.
• More than five million twinkling lights will be all aglow at Hersheypark Christmas Candylane, select nights through Jan. 1. Enjoy family-friendly rides, thrilling roller coasters, Santa and his reindeer, shopping galore in the Hersheypark Supply Co. and HP Collections shops, signature hot chocolate and other sweet treats.

Here's Where To Buy Fresh Cut Trees In The New Hope Area

Clarification: An earlier version of this story mentioned the defunct Target Holidazzle Parade in Minneapolis, which no longer takes place.