Are you ready? Let’s celebrate the season with our favorite holiday festivities, from amazing light displays, fancy gingerbread making to decked out holiday displays, tree festivals, holiday shows and of course Santa visits. There’s so much to do, if you “Got Kids!” Don’t miss this season’s magical moments. Events are subject to change, so please check with times and dates before venturing out. NJ Kids is not held responsible for typographical errors.

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS AT THE NEWARK MUSEUM
49 Washington St, Newark. 973-596-6550.
12/4.  Join us for a celebration of cultural and artistic treasures at our annual holiday kick-off, "Winter Festival of Lights." There's something for everyone including performances, planetarium shows, family workshops, holiday storytelling and candlelight tours. Free hot cocoa and cider will be served.
 

FAMILY FUN DAYS AT THE NEWARK MUSEUM
49 Washington St, Newark. 973-596-6550.
12/26-28, 12-5pm. Make the Newark Museum part of your annual holiday tradition. Enjoy tours of Feasting with Family and Friends: Christmas in the Ballantine House, a Kwanzaa celebration, planetarium shows, hands-on activities; and music and dance performances
for people of all ages.

GINGERBREAD WONDERLAND
Frelinghuysen Arboretum, 353 East Hanover Ave, Morris
Township 973-326-7601
12/5-14, 10-5pm until 8pm on Friday. Over 200 ginger bread creations - in the past there have been models of Notre Dame cathedral, Hanukah menorahs, Japanese temples, Chinese pagodas, European castles, and neighborhood sweet shops.

CHRISTMAS ON THE FARM
Howell Living History Farm, Lambertville, 609-737-3299.
12/6, 11-3. See what Christmas (and life) was like back in the 1900s

CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL AT THE MORRISTOWN GREEN
Morristown. 11/30
Activities include train ride around green, holiday concert, ice sculpture demos, and Santa!

HOORAY FOR HANUKKAH
Garden State Discovery Museum
856-424-1233 – 12/21, 12-4pm
Listen to Hanukkah stories, create holiday snacks and enjoy hands-on Hanukkah crafts with Rosie Hymerling.  Then, top the afternoon off with an interactive performance with Cantor Scott Borsky. Drop-In Crafts: 12–3PM, Concert: 3PM.

DECK THE HALLS: FIFTY YEARS OF CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS
1003 Morris Ave., Union 908-527-0400.
All month in Dec. Liberty Hall will transform the first floor into a time machine where visitors will journey through 5 rooms to discover the decorative styles of bygone eras. 10-4. 12/6: Holiday Candlelight Tours. 12/13 & 20: Gingerbread House Workshop. 12/14: How the Grinch Stole Lunch Feast. 12/21: Breakfast with Santa.

HOLIDAY EVENT AT THOMAS EDISON NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
thru Jan 4, 2015, Fri, Sat, Sun, 11:30-3:30pm.
211 Main Street, W. Orange, 973.736.0550x11
Listen to the stories of how the Edison family celebrated Christmas, guided tours, Invention Factory, “hide the Santa” game.

KWANZA CELEBRATION WITH QUEEN NUR
Garden State Discovery Museum
856-424-1233. 12/26, 11-3PM
Experience the symbols and principles of this important African American tradition, as Queen Nur lights up the stage with interactive storytelling and song!

CHRISTMAS EXPRESS WITH SANTA CLAUS
NJ Museum of Transportation, Allaire State Park,
Farmingdale 732-938-5524. 12/6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21 (Days) and 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20 (nights) Christmas train ride with Santa on beautifully decorated trains.
 
CHRISTMAS DELAWARE RIVER CROSSING REENACTMENT
Washington Crossing State Park, 1112 River Road
Washington Crossing, PA
215-493-4076, 12/25 - 1 pm Watch as re-enactors make their way across the Delaware River to New Jersey in the annual event commemorating the Christmas Day crossing made by Gen. George Washington and his troops in 1776.

SANTA IS COMING TO IMAGINE THAT!!! CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
4 Vreeland Pk, Florham Park, 973-966-8000.
Santa Breakfast: 12/6, 20 & 21.  Make a Dreidel: 12/6 & 7.  Decorate your Christmas Gift Bag: 12/13 & 14

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA AT GARDEN STATE DISCOVERY MUSEUM, 856-424-1233
12/13-14. All the fixins’ for a pancake breakfast with songs and stories and, of course, a visit with Santa.  Reservations recommended

CAPE MAY’S AN OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS
1048 Washington St, Cape May. Free.
609.884.5404. thru Jan 1, 2015. An exhibit of holiday tradtiions complete with model trains, toys and more! At the Carriage House Galley at the Emlen Physick Estate.

OLD BARRACKS - COLONIAL BALL
12/26, Enjoy an evening of 18th century merrment and learn to dance like our founding fathers while surrounded by people in Revolutionary War dress, listening to live music and enjoying refreshments.  12/27 NJ 350th Battles of Trenton Reenactment. 10-5

THE RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR
1260 6th Avenue, NYC 212-247-4777 Thru 12/31

NYC BALLET’S ‘THE NUTCRACKER’
David Koch Theater, Lincoln Center, 10 Lincoln Center
Plaza, NYC . 212-875-5456 .Thru 1/3

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
The Theater at Madison Square Garden, NYC
12/5-28. A Christmas classic