Christmas Tree Lighting In Princeton Kicks Off Holiday Season

PRINCETON, NJ — The holiday season in Princeton kicks off this weekend.

The town’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony is set for Friday night, Nov. 24, on the front lawn at Palmer Square, 5 p.m. Santa Claus will help light the 32,000 lights on Princeton’s 65-foot Norwegian Spruce. There will be a special performance by the American Repertory Ballet’s Nutcracker and Clara, as well as music from Holiday Brass, the Princeton High School Choir. There will also be a number of surprises.

For those who celebrate Hannukah, the Menorah Lighting is set for Thursday, Dec. 14, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the North Plaza on Hulfish Street in front of Mediterra restaurant, rain or shine. There will be guest speakers and the Odessa Klezmer Band, and there will be music and refreshments in store at 15 Hulfish Street, two doors down from Kitchen Kapers after the ceremony.

All throughout the season, Princeton will host trolley tours and Santa tours. The one-hour tours highlight the homes occupied by Albert Einstein, Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, F. Scott Fitzgerald and John F. Kennedy, among others. They are every Saturday in December, including Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30. The cost is $15 per participant, and tours begin every hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 1-855-743-1415 or visit princetontourcompany.com.

Palmer Square will host its Winter Wonderland and Photo Workshop at Wonder Years Studio every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, beginning Friday, Nov. 24. Photos with Santa are on weekends, 1 p.m.-5 p.m., for walk-ins only. Children's play area is sponsored by JaZams. Packages start at $25. A portion of all proceeds will be donated to HomeFront. Visit palmersquarephotos.com to make a reservation.

Every Saturday and Sunday afternoon starting Saturday, Nov. 25th, there will be strolling entertainment providing seasonal sounds. For full schedule of events, visit palmersquare.com/events.

Princeton University's A Capella Holiday Jam and Toy Drive is set for Friday, Dec. 8, 6:30 p.m. Bring a new unwrapped toy to be donated to a local charity and receive 20 percent off a toy at JaZams for the toy drive.

Princeton children are invited to have Breakfast With Santa at the Nassau Inn on Sunday, Dec. 10, with seatings at 9 a.m. and noon. Reservations required for breakfast or brunch. Visit nassauinn.com/offers for more details.

Finally, the Festival of Trees returns to Princeton for another season. What has become a “must-see” Princeton tradition runs Nov. 22 through Jan. 7 at the Morven Museum and Garden during museum hours. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. No reservations are required, but you must purchase a ticket to the museum to see it. For a list of this year’s exhibitors and sponsors, visit morven.org.

The following Pop-Up Stores are scheduled for Palmer Square this season:

Objects of our Lives: gifts and home goods, 10 Hulfish Street.
Hand Crafted Studio: leather goods and leather making workshops, 69 Palmer Square West
Miya: gifts and home goods, 41 Palmer Square West
Wonder Years Portrait Studios: holiday portraits, 11 Hulfish Street.

Monday and Tuesday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Wednesday – Saturday: 10 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
December 24: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
December 31: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Visit www.palmersquare.com for a complete list of stores, restaurants, sales and promotions and more.

Patch file photo