The Weekender: Christmas, Kwanzaa & Hanukkah

Check out some of the festive events around the city and nearby. Click the EVENTS tab on the home page to see all the possibilities for the weekend. Feel free to add your own in the comments section. 

WHAT: 
WHERE:   St. Peter Claver RC Church 
WHEN:  Friday, Saturday, Sunday  7:30pm
WHAT:   Las Posada are a Christmas re-enactment of Joseph and Mary’s search for shelter in Bethlehem prior to the birth of Christ. Everyone is invited to witness the re-enactments across 9 evenings beginning on Friday, Dec. 16.  Las Posadas will be staged differently each night - according to the customs and traditions of our parishioners' various ancestral countries including - Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, Peru, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Salvador, Columbia and Haiti. 

WHAT:  
WHERE:  InsaniTea
WHEN:   Friday 7pm
WHY GO:  On Friday, December 16th from 7pm - 9pm, come visit with SANTA!  Free samples of our Holiday Spice tea will be served along with Pumpkin Bread.  There will also be live Holiday music provided by Erica Seguine and Paolo Cantarella of Make Music Montclair.  A Fun Festive time to be had by everyone!

WHAT: 
WHERE:  Luna Stage Theater, West Orange 
WHEN:    Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm,  Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm
WHY GO: Rediscover the true meaning of the holidays: tradition, family, and joy!    Join The Casa Band and Storytellers in a bilingual celebration for all ages.  Folksongs and Fables, Seasonal Poems, and Classic Holiday Tunes
COST:  $20 for adults; $10 for children 

 WHAT: 
WHERE:  Montclair Public Library
WHEN:  Saturday   2pm  
WHY GO: Montclair Public Library presents the 23rd Annual Community Kwanzaa Celebration. Celebrate community spirit with a performance by the Usaama  Dance Company of Montclair and a Kwanzaa craft for children. The celebration will begin with a pouring of libations for the ancestors. African-American heritage books, clothes and artifacts will also be available for purchase in the auditorium.All ages welcome. Registration required Auditorium.  African Market opens at 1:00 p.m.

WHAT: 
WHERE: New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), 36 Park Pl, Newark, NJ
WHEN:  Saturday  12pm – 5pm
WHY GO: Bring the entire family for this afternoon of free Kwanzaa activities, from 12:00pm-5:00pm, including hands-on workshops (for adults and children) in African dance and music, storytelling, Capoeira, drumming and more. These workshops give families the opportunity to learn more about the Kwanzaa holiday and the African Diaspora. There will also be a Children's Book Fair, an Arts and Crafts Village featuring face painting, hands-on activities such as spirit masks, sekere crafting, Kwanzaa wish scrolls, and more.

WHAT:  
WHERE:  Church of the Immaculate Conception
WHEN:   Saturday   10a m to 5pm
WHY GO:  Food, Fun, Prizes.   Shop for you last minute Christmas Gifts and Stocking Stuffers from Local Merchants, Vendors, and Community Members.  Sell your broken, unused, mismatched Gold for Money on the Spot!  Come out and Shop and/or sell your gold for some Holiday Cash!

WHAT:  
WHERE:  JCC MetroWest, West Orange
WHEN:   Saturday   6:30pm
WHY GO:  Join us for fun & friendly Olympic style activities specially designed for families with children in grades K-6.    Each family will be placed on a team-team requests will be granted.  Hanukkah Playroom will be open during the event for children ages 4 and younger.  Swim Games (all families come ready to swim),  Hanukkah Apache Relay Race, Prizes and More
COST:   $25 per family and pre-registration REQUIRED

WHAT:   
WHERE:  The Charles Shultz House
WHEN:  Sunday     3:30
WHY GO:  Come for a tour and be serenaded by the delightful voices of the Verona High School Jazz Choir!  Tours at 3:30 pm at 30 North Mountain Avenue. Your last chance to visit this delightful home before we close it up for the winter! 
COST:  Tours are $8 for adults, $5 for children, with special holiday pricing of a max of $25 per family.  Members are free.

WHAT:  
WHERE:  Chill, 312 Bloomfield Ave, Montclair
WHEN:   Saturday  and Sunday
WHY GO:  Buy tickets for our first annual holiday band festival and competiton on December 17 & 18, 2011.   Come listen to over 40 different local bands play their unique version of a holiday song of their choice and to compete for $1000 grand prize.  Great music, food, arcade, pool table lounge for two festive days. 
COST:   Buy tickets for one day or both:  $20 one day, $30 for both

WHAT: 
WHERE:   Turtle Back Zoo, West Orange
WHEN:     Friday, Saturday, Sunday
WHY GO:  Experience Turtle Back Zoo in the winter as 100,000 bulbs and 40 lit displays illuminate the zoo this holiday season!
COST:   Free.   Turtle Back Zoo will be collecting non-perishable food, winter coats and unwrapped new toys for the needy each evening of holiday lights.