Christmas and Holiday Events in Rockaway Borough and Rockaway Township

Rockaway Borough and Rockaway Township each light up the holiday season their own way, with tree lightings, Santa visits, menorah lightings and library programs in both towns. This guide collects the Christmas events in Rockaway NJ that residents look for every year, along with Hanukkah and other holiday gatherings, with each town listed separately, plus a few solid picks nearby in Morris County.

Last updated: Oct. 18, 2026. Rockaway News updates this page as 2026 dates are announced. When an organizer has not confirmed this year’s plans, we list last year’s details so you know what to expect, and we mark the 2026 details as pending. Always confirm with the organizer before you go.

Holiday dates already confirmed for 2026

• November: Spirit Christmas is expected to reopen its pop-up store at 357 Mount Hope Avenue in Rockaway Township. Spirit Christmas details.
• Saturday, Nov. 28: Santa’s Arrival and the Lighting of the Morristown Green, Morristown.
• Friday, Dec. 4, 6 to 8 p.m.: Rockaway Township Tree Lighting and Santa’s Arrival, Park Lake Gazebo, 15 Mount Hope Road.
• Monday, Dec. 7, 7 to 8 p.m.: Rockaway Township Menorah Lighting at Park Lake, 8 Mount Hope Road.
• Tuesday, Dec. 8, 7 to 8 p.m.: Rockaway Township Library virtual talk, “Is That You, Santa Claus?”
• Saturday, Dec. 19, 11 a.m.: Family Gingerbread House Decorating at the Rockaway Borough Library. Registration begins Nov. 10.

Rockaway Borough holiday events

Rockaway Borough Christmas Tree Lighting

The Rockaway Borough Parks and Recreation Committee hosts an annual Christmas Tree Lighting. In 2025 it was held on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 6:30 p.m., according to Borough council minutes. Council members later praised the turnout, the Morris Hills choir’s performance and the Rockaway Borough Fire Department for getting Santa there on time.

2026 details are pending. Watch the Borough Parks and Recreation page or its Facebook page, facebook.com/rockbororec, or call the recreation office at 973-627-2000, ext. 217.

Rockaway Borough Menorah Lighting

The Chabad Center of Northwest New Jersey has held a public menorah lighting in Rockaway Borough in recent years. In 2025 the lighting was on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 5:15 p.m. at 30 West Main Street, across from QuickChek. Hanukkah 2026 runs from sundown on Friday, Dec. 4, through Saturday, Dec. 12. The 2026 Borough lighting date is pending.

Operation Toy Train stop at the Riverside Shoppe

Operation Toy Train, a holiday train that collects new, unwrapped toys for Marine Toys for Tots, has stopped in Rockaway Borough on its run along the Dover and Rockaway River Railroad. In 2025 the stop was at the Riverside Shoppe, 26 East Main Street, on Sunday, Dec. 7, from 10 to 10:30 a.m., and Rockaway donors gave 699 toys. The 2026 schedule is pending at operationtoytrain.org.

Breakfast with Santa

The Kiwanis Club of Greater Rockaway has hosted a holiday Santa event since 2021. Its 2022 Breakfast with Santa was held at the Riverside Shoppe on East Main Street, with donations going to the Morris Hills Key Club scholarship fund, and the club lists a 2025 Breakfast with Santa as well. 2026 details are pending.

Handmade ornaments from the Borough Historical Committee

Each December the Rockaway Borough Historical Committee offers handmade holiday ornaments at the Borough of Rockaway Historical Museum, 199 West Main Street. In 2025 they went on sale Dec. 9. 2026 details are pending.

Family Gingerbread House Decorating

The Rockaway Borough Public Library, 82 East Main Street, hosts Family Gingerbread House Decorating for all ages on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026, at 11 a.m. Registration is required and opens Nov. 10. Call the library at 973-627-5709.

Rockaway Township holiday events

Rockaway Township Tree Lighting and Santa’s Arrival

Rockaway Township’s annual Tree Lighting and Santa’s Arrival is set for Friday, Dec. 4, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Park Lake Gazebo, 15 Mount Hope Road, according to the Township calendar.

Last year’s event on Dec. 4, 2025, was free and took place at the gazebo and the Senior Center, with caroling starting at 5:30 p.m., a visit from Santa, kids’ crafts, treats and hot cocoa. The Township has not yet posted the full 2026 lineup.

Rockaway Township Menorah Lighting

The Township’s Menorah Lighting at Park Lake, 8 Mount Hope Road, is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 7, 2026, from 7 to 8 p.m., the fourth night of Hanukkah. The 2025 lighting was held on Dec. 15 at the Park Lake Gazebo.

Santa at Rockaway Townsquare

Rockaway Townsquare, 301 Mount Hope Avenue, kicks off its season with Santa’s Arrival. In 2025, Santa rode in with the Rockaway Township Fire Department on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 5:30 p.m., with crafts, entertainment and photos in Macy’s Court. The mall’s Santa Photo Experience ran from Nov. 14 through Dec. 24, and a sensory-friendly Caring Santa session for children with special needs was held on Sunday, Dec. 7, from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

The Chabad Center of Northwest New Jersey also lit a menorah on the mall’s upper level on Dec. 20, 2025, at 7:15 p.m. 2026 mall dates are pending.

Breakfast with Santa at Firehouse No. 5

Rockaway Township’s Firehouse No. 5 held a breakfast with Santa in 2025, according to the Nov. 13, 2025, Township Council minutes. 2026 details are pending. Check with the Rockaway Township Fire Department.

Library programs

The Rockaway Township Free Public Library, 61 Mount Hope Road, hosts a virtual adult program, “Is That You, Santa Claus?: A History of the Santa Claus Image” with Mallory Mortillaro, on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2026, from 7 to 8 p.m. The library is closed Dec. 24, Dec. 25 and Dec. 31. Call 973-627-2344 for details.

Nearby in Morris County

• Christmas Festival at the Morristown Green: Santa’s Arrival and the Lighting of the Morristown Green is set for Saturday, Nov. 28, 2026. The Morristown Partnership says the tradition dates to 1913, with Friday through Sunday activities throughout December. Activities are free, except a $15 fee for photos with Santa.
• Dover Holiday Kickoff: Dover, which borders Rockaway Township, held its 2025 kickoff on Monday, Dec. 1, with a holiday market at JFK Park, a 6 p.m. parade down Blackwell Street and a tree lighting. 2026 details are pending.
• Festive Farmyard at Fosterfields: The Morris County living history farm in Morristown hosted its holiday farmyard on Dec. 6 and 7, 2025, with a decorated 1915 farmhouse, wagon rides and a visit with Santa, for $10 per person. 2026 details are pending.

Holiday closings

• The Rockaway Township Municipal Building is closed Friday, Dec. 25, 2026, for Christmas.
• Rockaway Borough designated Thursday, Dec. 24, 2026, as its floating holiday for the year.
• The Rockaway Township Free Public Library is closed Dec. 24, Dec. 25 and Dec. 31, 2026.

Know before you go

• Rockaway Borough and Rockaway Township are separate towns with separate recreation departments. Some events are run by one town, so check each listing. New to the area? Start with our Rockaway Borough guide and Rockaway Township guide, or read what county Rockaway NJ is in. Looking for more year-round outings? See our guide to things to do in Rockaway NJ.
• Times and locations can change because of weather. Confirm with the organizer before you head out.
• Looking for the season that just wrapped up? See our Halloween events guide for both towns.

Rockaway holiday events FAQ

When is the Rockaway Township tree lighting?

The Rockaway Township Tree Lighting and Santa’s Arrival is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Park Lake Gazebo, 15 Mount Hope Road.

When is the Rockaway Borough tree lighting?

Rockaway Borough Parks and Recreation holds an annual Christmas Tree Lighting. The 2025 lighting was Dec. 3 at 6:30 p.m. The 2026 date has not been announced yet.

Where is the menorah lighting in Rockaway NJ?

Rockaway Township holds a Menorah Lighting at Park Lake, 8 Mount Hope Road, on Monday, Dec. 7, 2026, at 7 p.m. In 2025 the Chabad Center of Northwest New Jersey also held lightings at 30 West Main Street in Rockaway Borough and at Rockaway Townsquare.

Where can kids see Santa in Rockaway NJ?

Santa visits the Rockaway Township Tree Lighting on Dec. 4, 2026. In 2025, Rockaway Townsquare hosted Santa photos from Nov. 14 through Dec. 24, and the Rockaway Borough Fire Department brought Santa to the Borough tree lighting.

Hosting a holiday event in Rockaway Borough or Rockaway Township? Send it to us and we will add it. For everything else coming up, see the Rockaway Events Calendar.

Top photo: A child visits Santa at a community holiday tree lighting. Photo: Presidio of Monterey / Wikimedia Commons, public domain.