Kick off the 2013 holiday season in the Wildwoods with exciting events filled with fun for the entire family on Friday, December 6 and Friday and Saturday, December 13-14.
On Friday, December 6, the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse will host a special Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in the Lighthouse Courtyard. Santa Claus will make a special appearance, school and church choirs will perform, and refreshments will be available. The Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. and is FREE to attend. The Hereford Inlet Lighthouse is located at 1st and Central Avenues in North Wildwood. For more information call 609-522-4520.
The Wildwoods Family Holiday Celebration kicks off Friday, December 13 with the Greater Wildwood Jaycees Christmas Parade at 6:30 p.m. Bring a blanket or chairs, some hot cocoa, and enjoy a festive holiday procession along the streets of the Wildwoods. The parade commences at 15th Avenue in North Wildwood and heads south along Central and Pacific Avenues, through the Holly Beach Station Mall to Heather Road in Wildwood Crest, then proceeds east onto Ocean Avenue, and makes its way north to the Wildwoods Convention Center.
Parade registration begins at 5 p.m. with parade line-up at 6 p.m. at the North Wildwood Recreation Center, located at 10th and Central Avenues. There is no fee to submit a float entry for the parade. Trophies will be awarded to winners in four different categories later in the evening during the Christmas Parade Awards Ceremony inside the Wildwoods Convention Center. Awards will be given in the following divisions: Community Service, Commercial, Marching Bands and Public Service. The rain date for the Christmas Parade is Sunday, December 15 at 5 p.m., with registration at 4 p.m. and parade line-up at 4:30 p.m. If the weather is uncertain, tune in to 98.7 The Coast or visit www.WildwoodHoliday.com for more information.
Immediately following the Greater Wildwood Jaycees Christmas Parade, the fun continues at the Wildwoods Convention Center with a traditional Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. After the tree lighting ceremony, festivities continue inside the Convention Center with the Christmas Parade Awards Ceremony and free hot chocolate and cookies. Prior to the Convention Center Tree Lighting Ceremony and Christmas Parade awards ceremony, the venue will host a Holiday Shopping Bazaar beginning at 6:30 p.m., featuring holiday-themed crafters offering unique, one-of-a-kind gift items.
On Saturday, December 14, the FREE Wildwoods Family Holiday Celebration continues at the Wildwoods Convention Center from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. with a full day of shopping, crafts, face painting, local school children’s choruses & band performances, music, gymnastics & cheer performances, a magician, FREE holiday movies and a special visit from Santa Claus.
Saturday’s exciting and fun-filled entertainment schedule for the Family Holiday Celebration is as follows:
9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Children’s Stocking Making Table & Face Painters
9 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Shopping Bazaar, Children’s Craft Making Table & Holiday Movies
10 a.m. – 3 p.m. – Balloon Twisting
9:30 a.m. – Performance by Cape Trinity Catholic Choir
10:00 a.m. – Art of Gymnastics & Cheer
10:30 a.m. – Performance by Wildwood Catholic High School
11:00 a.m. – Santa Claus Arrives
11:30 a.m. – Magician Ken Northridge
12:30 p.m. – Performance by Glenwood Choir
12:50 p.m. – Performance by Wildwood Middle School Choir
1:10 p.m. – Performance by Wildwood High School Choir
1:30 p.m. – Performance by Avalon String Band
2:30 p.m. – Performance by Crest Memorial School Band & Choir
You can also grab a seat and enjoy the show as two separate viewing rooms play FREE holiday movie classics! The movie schedule is as follows:
Meeting Room 1
9:30 a.m. – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
10:30 a.m. – Frosty the Snowman
11:30 a.m. – Santa Claus is Coming to Town
12:30 p.m. – Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol
1:30 p.m. – How the Grinch Stole Christmas (cartoon version)
2:00 p.m. – A Charlie Brown Christmas
2:30 p.m. – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Meeting Room 3
9:30 a.m. – How the Grinch Stole Christmas (starring Jim Carrey – PG)
11:30 a.m. – Polar Express (G)
1:20 p.m. – The Santa Clause (PG)
Don’t miss your chance to take part in these fun-filled, FREE holiday events! Bring the entire family and share the holiday season with your loved ones.
For additional information about the Wildwoods Family Holiday Celebration, please call 609-729-9000 or visit www.WildwoodHoliday.com.
For additional information about the Wildwoods, visit www.WildwoodsNJ.com or call 800-992-9732.