New Jersey has no shortage of cities and towns that go all out for the holidays, but a recent survey says one city rises above the rest.
According to new data from MRI Software, Jersey City ranks as the most festive city in the state, thanks to a high concentration of holiday events (69.4 per square mile) and more than 1,460 holiday activities happening throughout December.
Much of the city’s holiday vibe comes from its vibrant Christmas markets. The Holiday Square Market at Magnolia Landing is open every Wednesday to Sunday through December 28. The Historic Downtown Jersey City Handmade Market will be held at the Grove Street Path Plaza on December 13, 14, 20 and 21. The Heights Holiday Market at the Riverview Farmers Market was open in early December and included a visit with Santa, dance performances, and 150+ vendors.
Liberty Science Center puts on its Holiday Adventure, where Christmas meets science. Take the LSC Winter Train Ride that stops in the Art and Science Pavilion, go sock skating on a synthetic rink, watch live science shows and winter animal presentations, and look up during the holiday laser shows inside the planetarium. The Holiday Adventure goes on through January 4, but part of the fun – on Fridays and Saturdays through December 20 – is Santa’s Pajama Party. Kids should wear cozy PJs to meet Santa. They’ll decorate cookies and ornaments, view the night sky through telescopes, and see special performances from Imagine Circus.
Toast to the season at a themed bar. Franklin Social transformed into Miracle on Mercer, one of the Miracle Bar pop-up holiday bar locations in NJ. Aside from holiday-themed cocktails like coconut hot chocolate or the Chrismapolitan or the Naughty & Nice shots, there is an Ugly Sweater Party and Santa Brunch on the schedule. Cellar 335 gets an island twist with its conversion to Sleighs and Leis. Holiday Road takes over The Archer, including live music, book signings, and a specialty food and drink menu. The three floors and rooftop of The Ashford are decorated to the nines – literally, its nine bars. The Ashford Rooftop will hold its own Holiday Market on December 13, 14, 20 and 21; and every Saturday is Winter Wonderland.
Newport Centre Mall is decked out for the holidays, with a special Santa Photo Experience that lets your kids (and on certain nights, your dogs) meet Kris Kringle.
For Christmas dinner, check out the menus at The Feathered Fox, The Roxy or Meximodo Cocina & Tequila Bar; or place an order for Buches by Millefeuille or gluten-free flourless chocolate heaven cake from Choc-O-Pain; or try the Insta-worthy cinnamon rolls from The Hive.
Side note: Hank Schwartz’s Delicatessen & Appetizing has all your Hanukkah needs, like latkes, matzoh ball soup, deli meats and gelt. And, they’re offering a Jewish take on the Feast of the Seven Fishes, an Italian Christmas Eve tradition.
And because ice skating feels so cozy and festive during the holidays, Newport Skates is open for the season every day through March. Added bonus: the rink has spectacular views of the NYC skyline.
Jersey City also ranks No. 1 for the coziest city in New Jersey, according to Privacy Journal. That’s thanks to its coffee shops, bookstores, bakeries, libraries, hotels and recreational activities, especially in neighborhoods like The Heights, the downtown, The Village, and the Powerhouse Arts District. It’s also very walkable (recently named No. 27 on the most walkable cities in the country, according to StorageCafe), and is home to Liberty State Park along the waterfront.
The Top 5 Christmas Cities in the U.S., according to MRI Software:
- Jersey City, NJ
- Wilmington, DE
- Newark, NJ
- Dover, DE
- Frederick, MD
Newark is super festive, too. Newark’s Winter Village has ice skating, go-karts, games, activities, heated private igloos, an open-air marketplace,food vendors, and Instagram-worthy holiday photo ops.
NJPAC is one of our favorite venues and its holiday lineup includes: Christmastime with Trisha Yearwood on December 5, Elf in Concert on December 6, Nimbus Dance: Jersey Nutcracker on December 12 and 13, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase on December 18, Christmas with CeCe Winans on December 19 and 20, the Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show on December 21, and Lucy Darling of the Holidays on December 27. Around the corner is Prudential Center, where you can see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra on stage on December 19.
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Read More:
New Jersey’s Most Festive Christmas Attractions: A Bucket List Guide (2025)
‘Tis the Season at the Jersey Shore: 5 Towns Worth Visiting for the Holidays
Where to See The Most Magical Christmas Houses in New Jersey
