December 2026 Events in Bergen & Hudson Counties: Your Month-Ahead Guide

By the first week of December, Northern New Jersey has fully committed to the season. The county's biggest holiday attractions are open, downtowns are lit, and nearly every town has at least one market, tree lighting, or Santa visit on the calendar. Below is my month-ahead rundown. As always, community calendars shift, so confirm details with organizers before you head out.

The Big Anchors: Van Saun Park and the Light Displays

The region's biggest seasonal destination is back at Van Saun County Park in Paramus, open since Friday, November 20. The Bergen County Winter Wonderland brings outdoor ice skating, ice bumper cars, carousel and train rides, a heated tent, food trucks, a beer and wine garden, live music, Santa visits, and the Crafts Market Village. Its most recent season ran through early January, so expect it to carry the holidays past New Year's.

For a drive-through alternative, Demarest Farms' Orchard of Lights in Hillsdale runs its 32-acre light display on December 4-6, December 10-23, and December 26-29 from 5 to 9 p.m., an easy evening outing any night.

Let It GLOW!, the holiday lantern spectacular at the Bergen County Zoo with 30-plus illuminated displays, holiday train rides, and fire pits, had not yet posted its 2026 dates as of this writing. Check the Bergen County Parks website before planning around it.

Tree Lightings and Village Nights

Jersey City kicks off the month with the Historic Downtown Jersey City Christmas Tree and Menorah Lighting on Tuesday, December 1, hosted by the downtown business district with Santa, cookies, and hot chocolate, followed by the city's main tree lighting on Friday, December 4.

In Fort Lee, the Business District Alliance hosts its Holiday Night Market on Saturday, December 5 from 4 to 9 p.m. at Fort Lee Commons on Main Street, with Santa Saturday on December 5 and again December 12.

Hoboken lights its tree at 11th and Washington Streets on Friday, December 11, a tradition that pairs with the city's menorah lighting. In Ridgewood, Downtown for the Holidays and the Christmas Tree Lighting is confirmed for Friday, December 4 (5-9 p.m., tree lighting around 6:45 p.m. at Van Neste Square), the village tradition that celebrated its 40th edition in 2025, alongside the Holiday Walk-Through and Village Lighting.

One timing note for 2026: Hanukkah begins at sundown Friday, December 4 and runs through December 12, so this year's tree-lighting week doubles as the menorah lightings' first nights. Jersey City's downtown celebration on December 1 is the first public menorah lighting on the boards, and Chabad of Fort Lee's Horizon Menorah Lighting at 808 Abbott Boulevard joins the borough's holiday calendar. The holiday markets and winter events guide tracks the full lineup as dates confirm.

Holiday Markets Across Both Counties

The Happy Holiday Market returns to the Grove Street PATH Plaza in Jersey City on December 5-6 and 12-13 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., two weekends of handmade gifts, hot cocoa, and kids' activities, with vendors up on the rooftop at The Ashford.

The German Christmas Market of New Jersey runs December 4-6, a weekend of juried vendors, a carousel, and model trains. Hoboken's Pier One Tree Christmas pop-up market returns to Pier 13 on Sinatra Drive through December 20, with fresh-cut trees, wreaths, and Santa visits, and the Main Street Pops Artisan Market Holiday Market runs downtown on December 7, 14, and 21. Downtown Englewood's Holiday Market rounds out the county lineup with local vendors and holiday shopping.

For the full rundown of every market and lighting across the region, our holiday markets and winter events guide is the definitive list.

Santa Days and Family Weekends

Santa Saturdays in Fort Lee (December 5 and 12) give kids a reliable meet-and-greet, and Santa visits continue at the Winter Wonderland in Paramus most nights of the season. For grown-ups, Hoboken SantaCon takes over the Mile Square on Saturday, December 19.

Stage, Manor, and the Season's Best Seats

December's cultural calendar confirmed in a batch this week, and it is the strongest in years. The New Jersey Botanical Garden holds its Holiday Open House at Skylands Manor December 3-6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the mansion decorated room by room for the season, one of the few places in the region where the holiday display is the architecture itself.

At bergenPAC in Englewood, the holiday run now reads "A Very Jenn and Mel Christmas Show" on December 5-6, New Jersey Ballet's Nutcracker on December 11, and Darlene Love's Love for the Holidays on December 12, three very different nights on one stage. Dance and theater fill the rest of the month: Nimbus Dance performs its Jersey Nutcracker December 6-23, and Mile Square Theatre's "A Christmas Carol: A Radio Play" runs December 11-21 in Hoboken.

In Hoboken, the Christmas Tree Lighting is Friday, December 11 at 5 p.m. at 11th and Washington, the Community Menorah Lighting is Monday, December 14 at City Hall Plaza, and the Holiday Market Series runs at 770 Jackson Street Plaza. The 2nd Annual Small Biz Holiday Market at All Saints Episcopal Day School is December 1, 6-9 p.m., an early, local-first shopping night.

A Season of Giving Back

The Bergen County Holiday Project gift drive runs from mid-November through mid-December, collecting new, unwrapped gifts for neighbors in need across the county. It is an easy, meaningful way to include kids in the season, and the drop-off locations and hours are posted on the county's website.

Scott's Tips for a Smooth December

• Book early. Popular Winter Wonderland time slots sell out at peak nights, so reserve before you go.
• Go early or go midweek. The same trees and markets are just as lovely on a quiet Monday night, with a fraction of the crowd.
• Layer up. Most of the best December events in Northern NJ are outside, from the skating rink to the market stalls.
• Confirm before you head out. Community calendars shift, so check with organizers.

Use the Season to Judge a Town

If you are deciding between towns, December is the best month of the year to visit. A town that lights its downtown, keeps its market full, and turns out for a tree lighting is showing you exactly how it will feel to live there.

Past months are covered in the November and October event guides.

Already settled, or still deciding? I would love to help you connect with the right town for your next chapter. Reach me at (201) 970-3960 or Scott@sellecksellsnj.com, or book a free discovery call below.