This holiday season, throughout the North Fork, a variety of lightings will be held, featuring Christmas tree and menorah lightings. The events are as follows:
The annual Holiday Tree Lighting at Orient Beach State Park will be held Friday, Dec. 5, at 4 p.m. All are welcome to enjoy music, snacks and hot cocoa prior to the tree-lighting led by Santa Claus at 5 p.m. While the event will have festivities aplenty, those who come are also encouraged to give back to their community by bringing lightly used coats and canned food items. Any donations are welcome and appreciated.
For more information, visit the park’s event site here.
Who says a tree must be made of pine branches? Have a ho-ho-happy wine country Christmas kick-off at Lenz Winery (38355 Rte. 25, Peconic) with their annual barrel tree lighting this Saturday, Dec. 6 at 4 p.m. Wear your ugliest ugly sweater (there’s a contest with prizes!) and enjoy live music, good cheer and a barrel-full of of holiday lights until 6 p.m. Free to attend, but best to RSVP here.
On Saturday, Dec. 6, at 3 p.m., the North Fork Animal Hospital will hold their yearly Tree Lighting and Remembrance at their headquarters on 58605 Rte. 25 in Southold. There will be a brief blessing, a few readings and the lighting of the hospital’s pet memorial tree. All are welcome to attend, and community members are encouraged to bring a photograph of a pet they wish to honor and remember. The photos will be displayed from Dec. 6 through to Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, and may be laminated on site.
For more information, please contact Jodie at 917-324-5931 or [email protected].
The Cutchogue-New Suffolk Historical Society will have their annual Christmas Tree and menorah lighting on the Cutchogue Village Green on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 3:30-4 p.m., with Victorian-era carolers and a performance by the Mattituck-Cutchogue High School Select Chorus in front of the tree. Free, with refreshments and a visit from Santa. For more details, look here.
As part of the Greenport BID’s Greenport Holiday Events and Shopping Guide for 2025, the village’s Tree Lighting will take place on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 4:30 p.m, at Mitchell Park.
For more information, visit the BID’s website and event itinerary or the village’s website.
Also on Saturday, Dec. 6 is the Riverhead Holiday Extravaganza. The festivities take place from 3 to 8 p.m. at Riverhead Town Hall, 4 W. Second St., Riverhead. At 3 p.m., there will be a puppet show and crafting session with free hot chocolate. At 4:30 p.m., the Parade of Lights will begin. After this, eventgoers can take photos with Santa and enjoy the tree lighting.
For more information, visit Riverhead Chamber of Commerce’s website at riverheadchamber.com.
As part of the Greenport BID’s Greenport Holiday Events and Shopping Guide for 2025, a Menorah Lighting event will be held Sunday, Dec. 14, at 5 p.m. at Mitchell Park. Following the lighting, eventgoers can enjoy refreshments and latkes at Congregation Tifereth Israel, located at 519 Fourth Street. Everyone is welcome to this event.
For more information, visit the BID’s website and event itinerary here.
Also on Dec. 14, Temple Israel of Riverhead will be hosting a community menorah lighting at 5 p.m. on West 2nd St. between Roanoke and Griffing Avenues, next to the M & T Bank, with refreshments to follow at the temple. All are invited to participate. For more information, visit templeisraelriverhead.org.
And don’t forget the Riverhead Holiday Light Show, which is back for its eighth season at Splish Splash Water Park in Calverton. Open on select nights until Dec. 31, the show is a mile-long drive through holiday-themed lights synchronized to holiday hits; guests can visit Santa for photos on certain dates as well. Four levels of admission tickets are available covering a full carload: Season Pass for $129, VIP pass for $55, Flex Pass for $35 and General Admission for $25. For details and schedule, look here.
