Holiday Events in Cherry Hill, NJ: Christmas Lights, Festivals, and Family Fun

December in Cherry Hill, New Jersey is when the township really shines. The Winter Festival at Croft Farm opens the month with artisans, food trucks, and Santa, the mayor and town council light the community Christmas tree and menorah, and neighborhoods from Kingston Estates to Woodcrest turn into drive-through light displays. This guide rounds up the holiday events in Cherry Hill this season, plus the best Christmas attractions within an easy drive, so you can plan the whole month in one place.

What Holiday Events Does Cherry Hill Host Each December?

The centerpiece of the Cherry Hill holiday calendar is the Winter Festival at Croft Farm, the township's free flagship event, held at Croft Farm, 100 Bortons Mill Road. In recent years it has landed on the first Sunday of December, running from around noon into the early evening, and it draws the whole community out. Expect a winter craft fair of local artisans, food trucks, a beer garden, ice-carving demonstrations, live music, fire pits, s'mores, a visit from Santa, and even a little manufactured snow for the kids. The township confirms the exact date and hours each fall on its website at chnj.gov, so check there as December approaches.

The other signature township event is the Holiday Lighting Ceremony, hosted by the mayor and town council at the Carman Tilelli Community Center at 820 Mercer Street. Local youth choirs and musicians perform while the community Christmas tree and Hanukkah menorah are lit for the season. It is free, it is early December, and it is one of the warmest small-town traditions left in South Jersey. Our Community Events page tracks the full township calendar all season.

Where Can You See Christmas Lights in Cherry Hill?

You do not have to leave town to see a spectacular light display. Cherry Hill has a handful of neighborhood traditions that families return to year after year:

• Lights On Lantern, a free walk-through display that fills a front yard with glowing scenes.
• The Pearl Croft Road Light Show at 127 Pearl Croft Road, a synchronized display you tune into on your car radio at 92.9 FM.
• The Evergreen Avenue Walk-Through Village at 309 Evergreen Avenue, which includes a Santa event for families.
• The Deer Road and North Woods neighborhood displays, where whole blocks of homes dress up for the season.
• McNaughton's Garden Center Christmas Walk-Thru at 351 Kresson Road, a free walk-through holiday display and a local tradition for decades.

A few tips from a local: go on a weeknight to avoid the crowds, drive slowly with your headlights low, and keep kids buckled in, because the best displays sit right along the street. If you are new to town and still learning which neighborhoods go all out, our Best Neighborhoods in Cherry Hill guide is a good place to start.

What Does the Cherry Hill Public Library Offer for the Holidays?

The Cherry Hill Public Library at 1100 Kings Highway North keeps its calendar full through December with holiday programs for all ages, from story times and crafts to seasonal concerts. The library also runs a coat drive each winter, a simple way to give back while you are already in the building. Check the library's own calendar at chplnj.org for dates, because most events require no registration and fill up fast.

What Is the Cherry Hill Mall Like During the Holidays?

The Cherry Hill Mall, one of the first enclosed shopping centers in the East when it opened in 1961, becomes the retail heart of the region's holiday season. Santa arrives for photos, the courts get their full decorations, and in recent years a pop-up holiday market has run in late November and mid-December, a good spot for gifts from local makers. For parking sanity, go on a weekday morning or use the mall's extended holiday hours. Our Shopping Guide to Cherry Hill covers the whole Route 38 corridor.

What Hanukkah Events Happen in Cherry Hill?

Cherry Hill's Jewish community celebrates Hanukkah in a big, public way. Chabad of Camden and Burlington Counties runs the Giant Menorah Lighting and Menorah Motorcade, a car-top menorah parade led by Cherry Hill fire and police, which ends with the lighting of an 18-foot public menorah at the Barclay Farms Shopping Center. It is a joyful, family-friendly event in mid-December, and it is one of the reasons Cherry Hill's holiday season feels like everyone's holiday season.

What Holiday Attractions Are Worth the Drive from Cherry Hill?

When you want a bigger outing, Cherry Hill's location puts some of the region's best holiday attractions within an easy drive:

• Christmas Underwater at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, about 10 minutes away, with festive underwater displays, dive shows, and Santa appearances.
• Christmas Village in Philadelphia at LOVE Park and City Hall, a traditional German-style open-air market with wooden stalls, a carousel, and hot food. Take PATCO from the Woodcrest or Ashland station and skip the parking entirely.
• The Franklin Square Holiday Festival in Philadelphia, with lights, a carousel, and a holiday market in the shadow of the historic square.
• Johnson's Corner Farm in Medford, about 20 minutes away, with its Christmas Musical Light Show Hayride, the Discovery Barnyard lights, s'mores by the fire pits, and Santa visits through late December.
• Storybook Land's Christmas Fantasy in Egg Harbor Township, a gentle South Jersey tradition that is perfect for the preschool set.
• For a bigger trip, A Longwood Christmas at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, about an hour away, wraps the gardens in more than 500,000 lights with indoor fountain shows, and Holidays at Peddler's Village in Bucks County turns a whole village into a Festival of Lights with a Grand Illumination tree lighting in mid-November.

Whatever you choose, book weekend tickets in advance, especially for Longwood Gardens and the aquarium, and check the Medford Dickens Festival if you want a Victorian-style holiday stroll close to home. Our Things to Do in Cherry Hill guide has more ideas for the whole season.

How Should Families Plan a Holiday Outing from Cherry Hill?

A little planning makes holiday outings much smoother. Buy timed tickets online before you leave, because the big attractions sell out on weekends. For Philadelphia, take PATCO from Woodcrest or Ashland and walk or ride the subway from there; it is cheaper and faster than parking near City Hall. For neighborhood light displays, go on a weeknight after dinner, when the crowds thin out. And bring cash, since some farm stands and pop-up markets still prefer it.

Is December a Good Time to Explore Cherry Hill Neighborhoods?

If you are considering a move to Cherry Hill, December is one of the best months to look. Decorated porches, glowing windows, and community events like the Winter Festival give you a front-row view of the town's character, and the classic neighborhoods look their finest. A slow drive through Kingston Estates, Barclay, or Woodcrest on a December evening will tell you more than any listing photo. Our Living in Cherry Hill guide walks you through the rest, and the Family Activities in Cherry Hill page keeps the calendar full for kids all year.

Frequently Asked Questions

What holiday events does Cherry Hill host each December?

Cherry Hill hosts the free Winter Festival at Croft Farm, the Holiday Lighting Ceremony for the community Christmas tree and menorah at the Carman Tilelli Community Center, the Chabad menorah motorcade ending at the Barclay Farms Shopping Center, and holiday programs at the Cherry Hill Public Library, plus neighborhood light displays across town.

When is the Cherry Hill Winter Festival?

In recent years the Winter Festival at Croft Farm, 100 Bortons Mill Road, has landed on the first Sunday of December, running from about noon into the early evening. The township confirms the exact date each fall on chnj.gov.

Where can you see Christmas lights in Cherry Hill?

Lights On Lantern, the Pearl Croft Road Light Show at 127 Pearl Croft Road (tune to 92.9 FM), the Evergreen Avenue Walk-Through Village at 309 Evergreen Avenue, the Deer Road and North Woods neighborhood displays, and McNaughton's Garden Center Christmas Walk-Thru at 351 Kresson Road.

Does the Cherry Hill Mall have holiday events?

Yes. Santa arrives for photos, the courts are fully decorated, and in recent years a pop-up holiday market has run in late November and mid-December. Check the mall's event calendar for the current season.

What Hanukkah events happen in Cherry Hill?

Chabad of Camden and Burlington Counties hosts the Giant Menorah Lighting and Menorah Motorcade, a car-top menorah parade led by Cherry Hill fire and police that ends with the lighting of an 18-foot public menorah at the Barclay Farms Shopping Center in mid-December.

What holiday attractions are near Cherry Hill?

Within a short drive: Christmas Underwater at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, Christmas Village and the Franklin Square Holiday Festival in Philadelphia, Johnson's Corner Farm in Medford, and Storybook Land's Christmas Fantasy in Egg Harbor Township. Longwood Gardens and Peddler's Village are worth the longer trip.

Is December a good time to visit Cherry Hill neighborhoods?

Yes. Decorated streets, glowing windows, and community events like the Winter Festival make December one of the best months to see the town's character, especially if you are considering a move.