11 days left until the big guy comes–but we’re not counting, are you? To make the days fly by, check out these festive, fun family activities to do this week. See a twinkling winter wonderland from your window at the Winter Wonderlights Spectacular Drive-Through in East Brunswick, gather around the laptop to celebrate Kwanzaa at NJPAC’s Virtual Kwanzaa Festival, and chat with Santa safely when you pull up to the Drive-Through Visits with Santa in Cranford.
Featured image via @Thewinterwonderlights
Psst! We love seeing your social-distancing New Jersey adventures. Be sure to tag your photos with #NJMOM and @njmom for a chance to be featured in our round-up next week.
Winter Wonderlights Spectacular Drive-Through
December 16th – December 22nd, 5:30 PM – 10 PM
Get the hot cocoa ready—your whole family will be in awe as your car makes its way through an array of Christmas lights as far as the eye can see. Over 1.5 million lights are on this half-mile journey featuring glimmering lights and animated images set to holiday classics, so your family will be in the holiday spirit all the way home.
Tickets are $27 per car
The Winter Wonderlights Spectacular
655 Cranbury Road
East Brunswick
Andrea McArdle Virtual Holiday Concert
December 17th- 18th at 7 PM, December 19th at 3 PM and 8 PM, and December 20th at 3 PM
Join Andrea McArdle, the original star of Broadway’s Annie, for an intimate holiday concert that you can watch from the cozy comfort of your couch. The whole fam will enjoy seasonal and Broadway favorites such as White Christmas, It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, N.Y.C., and, of course, Tomorrow, bringing joy and optimism into your home.
$30 per device
Kean Stage
Virtual
Rahway Winter Wonderland
December 18th, 4 PM – 7 PM
Spend this Friday night outdoors in a festive winter wonderland of craft vendors, treats, and so much more. Win prizes, warm up by the fire pits, and listen to festive live jazz music as you stroll through the station.
Free admission
Rahway Station
40 E Milton Avenue
Rahway
Outdoor Holiday Pop-Up
December 19th, 11 AM – 4 PM
Support local and shop for those last-minute gifts at this outdoor pop-up—vendors include craft kit makers, cooking class kits, candle and skincare products, hot cocoa bombs, and knitted products. Finish up your holiday shopping with gifts you can’t find anywhere else.
Free admission
Creative Twist Events
10 Pearl Street
Metuchen
Virtual Kwanzaa Festival
December 19th, 11:30 AM – 6:30 PM
This year’s popular festival is going virtual, featuring online programs inspired by Kwanzaa’s seven principles (unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith). You can explore African dance, stepping, Zumba, capoeira, tap into your creative side, do some shopping, or take some time to learn about another culture.
Free admission
NJPAC
Virtual
Cookies with Mrs. Claus
December 19th at 12 PM
Mrs. Claus is inviting you into her kitchen at this virtual cooking event. Kids can follow along and bake cookies, either for Santa or for their loved ones. Including songs and a storytime, this is a magical experience that no one wants to miss.
$5 per child
Chubby Penguin Events & Parties
Virtual
Drive-Through Visits with Santa
December 19th, 1 PM – 3 PM
Chat safely with Santa through the drive-through window at the Investors Bank sponsored by the Cranford Area Chamber of Commerce. Santa will be on the monitor to talk to kids about their Christmas list and wishes for the upcoming season. Every child that attends gets a delicious holiday treat.
Free admission
Investors Bank
105 North Avenue West
Cranford
Drive-Through North Pole
December 19th and 20th, 5 PM – 8 PM
Head to the North Pole this weekend, at this farm festively decorated for the winter season, for a free, fun, and safe holiday outing. Kids can bring their letters for Santa before Christmas and be sure to make a donation that will benefit local veterans in need, as well as the Ross Farm.
Free admission
The Ross Farm
135 N Maple Avenue
Basking Ridge
Christmas Joy with Santa
December 20th, 12 PM – 4 PM
The whole family will be full of Christmas cheer on this special day at the Elks Lodge. Kids can visit with Santa, pose for a socially distant photo, and each kid will get a surprise gift. Then stay to enjoy live seasonal music and lots of festive fun.
Free
Edison Democratic Organization
375 Old Post Road
Edison
