Nutley’s holiday celebration upcoming

Nutley’s Holiday Christmas Tree Lighting and Hanukkah Celebration is set for Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Municipal Plaza, 1 Kennedy Drive. Chestnut Street and Franklin Avenue will also be closed off for the festivities.

Families may look forward to Santa’s return, complete with his reindeer and elves. Photos with Santa will be available in an outdoor heated tent. Musical entertainment for the evening will include performances by the Chamber Singers and Brass Ensemble.

A message from Mayor John V. Kelly III, who is currently on deployment in Iraq, will make this year’s event extra meaningful. Deputy Mayor Tom Evans along with Commissioners Alphonse Petracco, Joseph Scarpelli and Mauro G. Tucci will be on hand to flip this year’s light switch.

Attendees may also enjoy classic activities such as a mini train ride, horse and buggy rides, roasted chestnuts and donuts. Nutley School System support groups will host fundraising tables throughout the night. At the event’s close, all are invited to the Live Nativity at Vincent United Methodist Church, with viewings at 7:10pm and 7:35pm

For full event details, contact the Kelly’s office at (973) 284-4976 or visit www.nutleynj.org.

Learn more about the writer ...

Editor & Broadcaster at  |  + posts

Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.