It’s that time of year again! The turkeys are in the oven, the stores are lined with toys and holiday decorations are everywhere you turn!
Before Halloween was wrapped up, Christmas decorations already permeated and overtook spaces in the stores. Some people feel that as soon as the door closes on the last trick-or-treater, we breeze through Thanksgiving to land in the overwhelming madness of preparing, shopping, decorating and enjoying Christmas or Chanukah or Kwanzaa.
I know we are all tempted to see Santa’s first arrival and explore the holiday lights in action, but I am here to say that there is so much more to the holidays than just the traditional activities! After reviewing events all across NJ, we have compiled a list of some of the best brain boosting events your family can enjoy during the holidays. Please check back to this list often as we will be updating it frequently!
Brain Boosting Events to Celebrate The Holidays
Horse Drawn Hayrides/Wreath & Sleighbell Sale: November 24 at Howell Living History Farm in Lambertville.
Winter Village at the Festival of Trees: November 24 12pm-5pm at the Red Mill Museum in Clinton.
Christkindlmarkt: November 30-December 2 at Tuckerton Seaport.
Gingerbread Wonderland: November 30-December 9 10am – 4:30pm at Frelinghuysen Aboretum in Morristown.
Holiday Open House: December 1 11am – 4pm at Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms in Morris Plains.
Christmas on the Farm: December 1 at Howell Living History Farm in Lambertville.
A Civil War Christmas: December 1-2 at Historic Speedwell in Morristown.
Brunch with Santa on the Farm: December 1-2 at Alstede Farms in Chester.
Santa at Van Vleck: December 1-2 at Van Vleck House and Gardens in Montclair.
Holiday Open House: December 1-2 at Lusscroft Farm in Wantage.
Christmas at Allaire Village: December 2 at Allaire Village in Farmingdale.
Holiday for the Birds: December 2 1:30pm-3pm at Environmental Education Center in Basking Ridge.
Snow Globe Cookies – December 7 6pm-8pm at Chef It Up in Mount Olive.
Holidays in the Log House – Candlelight Tours: December 7-8 5:30pm at Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms in Morris Plains.
Breakfast with Santa: December 8 9am-11am at Battleship New Jersey in Camden.
Breakfast with Santa: TBA at Camden Children’s Garden.
Santa’s Family Workshop at the Zoo: December 8 at 11am-2pm at Cape May County Zoo in Cape May.
Crafting and Campfire: December 8 4:30pm – 6:30pm at Tenafly Nature Center.
Breakfast with Santa: December 8-9 at Garden State Discovery Museum in Cherry Hill.
Christmas at Allaire Village: December 9 at Allaire Village in Farmingdale.
Storytime with Mrs. Claus: December 9 11am at Allaire Village in Farmingdale.
Holiday with the Animals: TBA at Bergen County Zoological Park in Paramus.
Santa’s Cookies and Milk Bounce: December 12-13 at 5pm at Bounce U in Paramus.
Christmas Bird Count: December 16 7am-12:30pm at Environmental Education Center in Basking Ridge.
Christmas at Allaire Village: December 16 at Allaire Village in Farmingdale.
Holiday Scavenger Hunt: December 26-31 9am-3:30pm at Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morris Township.
Ongoing Holiday Events
Holiday Decorations: Begins Mid-November; Thursday – Sunday, tours leave from 12:15pm to 3:15pm at Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms in Morris Plains.
Festival of Trees: November 21 – January 6 Wednesday- Sunday 10am-4pm at Morven Museum and Garden in Princeton.
Festival of Trees: November 23 – December 9 at the Red Mill Museum in Clinton.
Country Christmas on the Farm: Every weekend November 23 – December 23 at Alstede Farms in Chester.
Christmas Lantern Tour: Select dates December 1-21 5pm – 8pm at Allaire Village in Farmingdale.
Holiday Train Rides
Several of these are on my list. Thanks for the round up!
What great events! Week tweet!