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Cape May County, NJ, lights up for the holidays from the Victorian streets of Cape May to the boardwalks of the Wildwoods and Ocean City. Here are the 2026 Christmas tree lightings and holiday parades in Cape May County, listed in date order, with dates, times and locations confirmed for this year.
Holiday Tree Lighting at the Physick Estate
- Town: Cape May
- Where: Emlen Physick Estate outdoor stage, 1048 Washington Street
- When: Saturday, November 21, 2026, 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Santa lights the tree at 7 p.m.)
- Admission: Free
Cape May MAC opens the season with the earliest big lighting in the county. The evening includes a holiday craft show, a free open house of the Physick Estate’s first floor and a free concert by the John Walter Community Band.
After Santa lights the tree, there is a reading of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas on the outdoor stage. Bring a nonperishable food item for the Cape May Community Food Closet or a new toy for Toys for Tots.
Avalon Festive Friday and Tree Lighting
- Town: Avalon
- Where: Avalon’s shopping district
- When: Friday, November 27, 2026, activities 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., tree lighting at 5 p.m.
- Admission: Free
Avalon’s day after Thanksgiving celebration packs more than 40 free activities into the shopping district, including character meet and greets, face painters and balloon artists. Santa and Mayor McCorristin light the tree at 5 p.m.
Snowfest Saturday follows on November 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with bounce houses, ice sculpting and Santa’s sleigh photos at 21st Street and Dune Drive.
Sea Isle City Christmas Parade and Mayor’s Tree Lighting
- Town: Sea Isle City
- Where: Parade starts at 29th Street and Central Avenue; tree lighting at Excursion Park, JFK Boulevard and Pleasure Avenue
- When: Friday, November 27, 2026, parade at 5:45 p.m., tree lighting at about 7 p.m.
The parade heads south from 29th Street to 84th Street, then north on Landis Avenue to Excursion Park, where the mayor and Santa light the tree. Free photos with Santa follow the ceremony.
Make a day of it: Sea Isle’s Winter Village runs in Excursion Park that day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a shopping village, holiday performances and a food court.
Wildwood Crest Holiday Tree Lighting
- Town: Wildwood Crest
- Where: Sunset Lake
- When: Tuesday, December 1, 2026, 5 p.m.
- Admission: Free
Wildwood Crest lights its tree on the shore of Sunset Lake on the first evening of December. It is a short, family friendly ceremony on a weeknight, so it is easy to fit in after work or school.
Ocean City Christmas Parade
- Town: Ocean City
- Where: Asbury Avenue, from Sixth Street to 11th Street
- When: Friday, December 4, 2026, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Ocean City’s nighttime parade rolls through the downtown shopping district on Asbury Avenue. Arrive early to grab a spot along the curb, then stay for shopping and dinner downtown.
Santa returns to Ocean City on the weekends that follow, with Santa in the Downtown at Soifer Park and photos with Santa at the Music Pier on December 5, 6, 12 and 13.
Greater Wildwood Jaycees Christmas Parade and Wildwood Tree Lighting
- Town: Wildwood
- Where: Parade starts at 16th Avenue, runs along Central and Pacific Avenues and ends at Byrne Plaza
- When: Friday, December 4, 2026, parade at 6 p.m., tree lighting at about 7 p.m.
- Admission: Free
The Jaycees parade ends at Byrne Plaza in downtown Wildwood, where the Wildwood Business Improvement District lights its Christmas tree once the parade arrives.
Christmas in the Plaza runs at Byrne Plaza the same night from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and again on Saturday, December 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tree Lighting Ceremony at Congress Hall
- Town: Cape May
- Where: Congress Hall Grand Lawn, 200 Congress Place
- When: Friday, December 4, 2026
Congress Hall’s lighting features live music from the Festival Choir and a countdown before the tree on the Grand Lawn is lit. It is part of the hotel’s Winter Wonderland, which runs November 27 to December 31, 2026. Check the hotel’s events calendar for the start time.
North Wildwood Tree Lighting Ceremony
- Town: North Wildwood
- Where: Hereford Inlet Lighthouse courtyard, 111 North Central Avenue
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, 5 p.m.
- Admission: Free
North Wildwood lights its tree in the courtyard of the 1874 Hereford Inlet Lighthouse. The lighting also switches on the lighthouse gardens’ Christmas lights, which stay up through the season.
Wildwoods Family Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting
- Town: Wildwood
- Where: Wildwoods Convention Center, 4501 Boardwalk
- When: Saturday, December 12, 2026, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (tree lighting at 4 p.m.)
- Admission: Free
This indoor celebration on the boardwalk is a good backup if the weather turns, with a full day of family holiday activities wrapping up with a tree lighting at 4 p.m.
More in Cape May County: holiday craft shows, candlelight house tours and Thanksgiving week events across every corner of the county.
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