All Weekend

Colonial Christmas (Bedminster, NJ)
Celebrate Christmas past and present as you step back in time to the winter of 1778 at the historic Jacobus Vanderveer House & Museum. Take a house tour and admire colonial holiday decorations, watch musicians and re-enactors and browse handmade artisan crafts.

Laser Holiday Magic (Trenton, NJ)
Celebrate the holiday season under the stars with the New Jersey State Museum’s awesome planetarium show! Full-spectrum laser beams dance along with dazzling animated laser effects to popular holiday music.

38th Annual Festival of the Trees (Basking Ridge, NJ)
The Festival of Trees is an annual indoor exhibit of holiday trees at the Basking Ridge Environmental Education Center – each one decorated by a community group or talented individual. Enjoy live holiday music on select Saturdays and Sundays and relax in the Snowflake Café with a hot beverage and homemade goodies.

Saturday, December 5th

Cookies & Cocoa with Santa (Summit, NJ)
Drop by the Reeves-Reed Arboretum for a cozy afternoon with cookies and cocoa. Have your picture taken with Santa in the beautifully decorated Wisner House - take advantage of the beautiful arboretum grounds and snap some candid shots of the kiddos too!

Definitely Dickens Christmas Carolers (Chester, NJ)
Dressed in Victorian costumes with an extensive repertoire of seasonal tunes under their belts, the Definitely Dickens Holiday Carolers always put on a festive show. Enjoy a performance as they serenade the streets of downtown Chester and take some time after to stroll in and out of the quaint shops and restaurants.

Lights, Camera, Action! Star Wars! (Manalapan, NJ)
Kids are invited to Monmouth County Library for a special Star Wars event. The 501st Legion will visit library to celebrate the release of the new Star Wars movie as they portray different heroes and villains. Kids are invited to come dressed in costume too!

Dreaming of an Alpaca Christmas (Far Hills, NJ)             
For a unique holiday outing, bring the gang to Bluebird Farm for a visit with their special herd of alpacas! Visit with the gentle animals and learn all about how they live. There will be craft making for kids, feeding of the alpacas and opportunities for holiday photos.

Sunday, December 6th

Holiday Nature Craft Show (Mountainside, NJ)
Usher in this festive season at Trailside’s Holiday Nature Craft Show, which features a tree and menorah lighting ceremony and tree decorating contest. Vote for your favorite tree, enjoy a visit from Santa & Mrs. Claus, sing along with holiday carolers and more.

Downtown Millburn Snowflake Parade (Millburn, NJ)
Head to downtown Millburn for their annual holiday parade. Marching bands, scouts, clowns, costumed residents and even Santa Claus rejoice in marching around downtown to celebrate the season. Stick around after the parade to meet the big man in red and partake in fun family games and activities.

Hooray for Hanukkah (Cherry Hill, NJ)
Celebrate Hanukkah at the Garden State Discovery Museum! Children can listen to Hanukkah stories, create holiday snacks and enjoy hands-on Hanukkah crafts. The afternoon ends with an interactive performance with Cantor Scott Borsky.

Preparing for Winter Walk (Montville Township, NJ)
Looking for a way to burn off some Turkey Day calories? Take to the trails for an easy hike at picturesque Pyramid Mountain and discover the different ways in which animals survive the winter season.

Gingerbread Sunday (Westfield, NJ)
The spicy scent of gingerbread has long been a part of the holiday season, especially at the Miller-Cory House Museum and "Gingerbread Sunday" is a program dedicated to the sweet treat. Children will make a decorative, non-edible gingerbread house and one additional craft to take home and will hear "gingery" stories while they play and learn.

Check out our NJ GoList featuring our top picks for the entire month of December. And don't forget: We have additional activity listings in our Event Calendar.

And if you are heading into NYC for the weekend, make sure you check out the New York City Mommy Poppins Event Calendar to get the latest on all the fun to be had Big Apple-style.