Downtown Denville will open the 2026 holiday season with a Holiday Open House on Friday, Nov. 27, from 4:30 to 8 p.m., the first of four festive weekends the business district announced on Sunday, Nov. 15.
The open house, set for the day after Thanksgiving, brings Santa, ice skating and the district’s Cocoa Zone to Broadway. It also launches two contests that run through the season, a Hot Chocolate Contest and a Holiday Window Decorating Contest. Shopping, food and seasonal activities continue through the rest of that weekend.
The December lineup, according to the Downtown Denville announcement:
Dec. 5 and 6, Holiday Traditions Weekend: carolers, holiday characters, photo spots, community music, a custom ornament station and a featured Hot Chocolate Crawl.
Dec. 12 and 13, Gingerbread Weekend: a gingerbread decorating contest, a decorating station and a Gingerbread Man Hunt through participating stores.
Dec. 19 and 20, Last-Minute Holiday Magic: one more weekend to finish gift shopping, and the final weekend of the Hot Chocolate Contest.
Downtown Denville says more event details and pre-registration information are coming soon, and participating businesses will post their own plans for each weekend. Our team will update readers as specifics are released.
Planning the holiday week? Town Hall and the library run reduced hours around Thanksgiving, so check our Denville Thanksgiving 2026 closures before you head out. For the rest of the season’s traditions, see our Denville holiday events guide.
Image: Downtown Denville logo, courtesy of Downtown Denville.
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