It’s the most wonderful time of the year to enjoy activities and experiences with family, friends and children. There is so much to do in Morris County with children over the next few weeks that you are going to have to prioritize from this list we have created just for you. Make some memories in 2021. Happy holidays from the Morris County Tourism Bureau!
1. Make handmade gifts and ornaments
Visit these two local glassmaking shops to create unique gifts that will thrill everyone on your list. The Morris County School of Glass in Morris Township offers glassblowing workshops in December for children and adults. In Morristown, visit Glassworks Studio, to make items of glass that are fused in a kiln. We suggest you call ahead for an appointment or to register for a class ahead of time. Here are some examples of what you can make:
2. Visit with Santa on the Morristown Green
Continuing a tradition that dates back to 1913, the Santa House is open. The Christmas Festival at the Morristown Green will once again bring the magic and wonder of the season to the town’s famous Green. Visits and photos with Santa, holiday crafts, ice sculpture demonstrations, a vintage-style rocking horse and rides on a miniature train. The lights all around the Green are a cheery sign of the season. Family activities, entertainment and Santa visits and photos will take place each Saturday and Sunday from Noon to 7 p.m. throughout December until December 19th, as well as three Fridays (December 3rd, 10th and 17th) from 3 to 8:00 p.m. Activities are free to visitors, with the exception of a $10 fee for a photo with Santa.
3. Take in the Theater of Light
The universal symbol of light will illuminate our cultural diversity when Mayo Performing Arts Center transforms the Vail Mansion Plaza into a “Theater of Light,” on Sunday, December 12 from 5 to 7 pm on the lawn of the Vail Mansion on South Street in Morristown. Local church bells will ring, lit magical winged dancers will perform among dazzling colors. MPAC’s teen Performing Arts Company will provide entertainment. During Theatre of Light, stop by the “Visit the Star” selfie station and the Wishing on a Star table where you can write your individual wishes for the season that will become an integral part of the evening’s light display! FREE
4. See the Nutcracker Ballet at MPAC
A must for children—take them to the Nutcracker Ballet. Each year the New Jersey Ballet and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra present Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic, and this year marks their 50th anniversary of collaboration. On stage in Morristown at MPAC between December 17th and December 26th.
5. See The Growing Stage’s “The Story of the Nutcracker”
The Growing Stage’s original adaptation transforms the classic holiday ballet into a fully formed theatrical production laced with the music of Tchaikovsky. The mysterious Uncle Drosselmeir brings his niece, Clara, a very special gift, a Nutcracker. After the family has gone to bed, Clara sneaks out from her bedroom to see her gift. As the clock chimes twelve, the adventure begins! Clara and the Nutcracker, who is really a prince, journey through the Land of Sweets, battle an army of mice, sail on the Lemonade Sea, rescue the Sugar Plum Fairy all to finally reclaim the prince’s crown from the Dowager Mouse Queen and her inept son. Now through December 19th at the Palace Theatre in Netcong.
6. See “A Christmas Carol”
This holiday classic from Charles Dickens is probably the most popular piece of fiction that he ever wrote, and was published in 1843. Charles Dickens, through the voice of Scrooge, continues to urge us to honor Christmas in our hearts and try to keep it all year round. On stage now through December 12th at the Lakeland Performing Arts Center, Centenary College in Hackettstown.
7. Visit the Morris Museum’s Spark!Lab
Spark!Lab offers any child (ages 5-12 years old and accompanied by an adult), a new informal approach to hands-on learning. Instead of following step-by-step instructions, young inventors will be empowered to problem-solve and overcome real-world obstacles. Spark!Lab offers many unique, project-specific stations, where inventors can engage directly with engineering and design challenges. This dynamic, Smithsonian-created learning space will inspire young visitors to create, collaborate, and innovate. As New Jersey’s only Smithsonian Affiliate, the Morris Museum recently installed the tenth Spark!Lab in the country. Timed tickets are available from noon to 4 pm at the visitor center. Timed tickets are free with museum admission. When you are at the museum, children of all ages will delight in a tour of the Mechanical Musical Instruments and Automata Collection.
8. Get tickets for First Night Morris
Enjoy the 30th annual family-friendly, alcohol-free First Night Morris and bring in the New Year. Over 50 performances at 15 venues (13 In-Person, 1 Live Stream, and 1 On-Demand) on December 31, 2021, in Downtown Morristown from 4 PM to Midnight with Complimentary Parking, Shuttles, and Additional On-Demand Access, January 1st – 3rd, 2022. Early-Bird Tickets (Buttons) start at $25 and $90 for a 4-Pack ($22.50 Each) through December 21 with Standard Pricing through the event of $30 Per Person or $95 for a 4-Pack ($23.75 Each). Tickets available online through MPAC. View the schedule here.
