While most people look for places to see Santa, many others look for places to see other favorite characters that can be harder to find. Young kids do not always enjoy visits with Santa but they might enjoy visiting other characters that they know and love. Would your child prefer to get other character pictures in New Jersey this holiday season?
Personally, my kids love to see Elsa and the Grinch. This is your one-stop shop to find characters for your kids to visit during the month of December. Characters that will be visiting kids include Rudolph, Frosty, Woodie, Jessie, Buddy the Elf and Black Widow.
Where to get pictures with the Grinch, Buddy, Frosty and other characters over the holiday season
Character Pictures at New Jersey Malls
Freehold Raceway Mall
- Freehold Raceway Mall: Visit on December 4, 2021 from 1 to 3 pm to see the Grinch and Cindy Lou Who. There will also be other character appearances on weekends including Buddy, Frosty, Rudolph, Woody, Jessie and more. For a full schedule of character appearances visit the Freehold Raceway Mall events page.
Brunswick Square Mall
- Santa Photos with Princess Elsa and her Bestie Elfie: December 4, 2021 from 10 to 11:30 am. There will be a Holiday PJ Event with face painting, story time and take-home crafts at the Brunswick Square Mall.
Moorestown Mall
- December 14, 2021, visit Frosty at the Moorestown Mall along with his friend Rudolph. On December 7, 2021 Spiderman and Black Widow will be there from 4 to 7 pm. Reservations are encouraged.
- Visit Buddy the Elf, Jovie and Santa for Snacks with Santa at the Moorestown Mall on December 4, 2021 from 10 am to noon. There will be snacks, music, crafts and more visitors from the North Pole. We have visited their events before and they always have lots of activities for kids and characters to visit with. Tickets should be purchased in advance.
Cherry Hill Mall
- December 7, 2021, visit Frosty and Rudolph on December 7, 2021. and visit Buddy the Elf and Jovi on December 14, 2021.. They will be at the Grand Court of Santa’s Workshop from 4 to 7 pm. Reservations must be made online.
Cumberland Mall
- Visit Rudolph and Frosty on December 7, 2021. Anna, Elsa and Olaf will be at the mall on December 14th. Buddy and Jovi will be there on December 21, 2021. Reservations are encouraged to be made online.
- Snacks with Santa and his friends will be on December 5, 2021 from 10 am to noon. There will be visits with Rudolph, Woody, Olaf, Elsa and Anna. There will be singers, face painters, strolling magicians and stilt walkers. Get tickets at the Cumberland Mall website.
Deptford Mall
- Visit with Buddy the Elf and Jovi on December 8, 2021 from 5 to 7 pm at Santa HQ. On December 15, 2021 the Grinch will be at the mall. Make a reservation if you want to get photos. There will also be crafts and giveaways. View our event listing for more details.
Visit a New Jersey Zoo to see Characters
2021 Character Apperances at the Turtle Back Zoo
- There will be princesses appearing on the Carousel Stage at the zoo at 6 and 7:30 pm on December 5th, 12th and 19, 2021.
- There will be sing-a-longs with Olaf on November 19th, 26th, December 10th and December 17, 2021 on the Carousel Stage.
- The Grinch will be at the main zoo entrance on December 3rd to the 5th.
- For more event information visit our event listing.
Go to a winter event
New Brunswick’s Winter Wonderland
- On December 11, 2021 visitors will be able to Capture the Winter Spirit with Mickey and Friends on George Street from noon to 4 pm. There will be photobooth pictures from noon to 3 pm. Olaf, the Grinch and Mickey will all be in attendance. View our event listing for more information.
Ridgewood’s Downtown for the Holidays
- At Ridgewood’s Downtown for the Holidays event on December 3, 2021 from 6 to 8:30 pm be on the lookout for the Grinch. There will also be trees lit, smores in the park, Santa and various trucks. There is free parking.
Mount Laurel Township’s Annual Tree Lighting
- From 6 to 9 pm on December 3, 2021 there will be visits from Buddy and Elsa at the Mount Laurel Township Tree Lighting at the Rancocas Woods Shops. Visit this Facebook event listing for more details.
- Pictures with the Grinch will be there on Friday, December 3, 2021 and pictures with the Sugar Plum Fairy on Friday, December 3, 2021 and Saturday, December 4, 2021 during the Mount Laurel Candlelight Stroll. Visit this Facebook page for more details.
Before the 32nd Annual Blackwood Christmas Parade
- Visit the Grinch at the Unforgotten Haven from 3 to 6 pm on December 4, 2021 for a $5 donation. Afterwards go see the parade and then go to the Fire house for Santa and cocoa. Visit this Facebook page for more details.
Visit with a Character at New Jersey Libraries
Moorestown Library
- Go to the Moorestown Library on December 4, 2021 at 10 am for an outdoor storytime and to get a picture taken with the Mouse for this Holiday Storytime with Mouse. If You Take A Mouse to the Movies and other seasonal stories will be read.
Character Pictures in New Jersey Amusement Parks
Holidays in the Park at Six Flags Great Adventure
- From November 13, 2021 to January 2, 2022 tickets can be purchased for holiday in the park. It is filled with decorated sections of the park, decorated rides and even a drive through way to visit as well. There is a Gingerbread Junction, Holiday Craze Mirror Maze, holiday fire pits, a Twinkle Tunnel and lots of other fun things to see around the park. The Holiday Shows are a great way to catch a glimpse of other characters that rarely make appearances. People that you can meet are the Evergreen Queen, Jack Frost, Looney Tunes, Mrs. Claus, the Poinsettia Princess, the Peppermint Princess, Olive the Reindeer, Roaming Street Elves, Santa, the Snow Queen, Toy Soldier, a Winter Wizard and more.
- For a full listing of where characters will be and the times that they will likely be there for shows or meet and greets visit the Great Adventure website.
- To learn more about our experience at Holidays in the Park at Six Flags Great Adventure read our blog post.
Character Pictures at New Jersey Christmas Light Shows
Visit the details on these Christmas light shows in New Jersey that feature meet and greets with characters.
Yard Family Christmas House in Absecon
- Mickey Mouse will be here on the weekend of December 10th and the following weekend Santa will be paying this display a visit as well as on Christmas Eve. Lights are on from 5 to 11 pm daily. The address is 4 E. Curran Drive in Absecon. This year the display will also have a fire pit, hot cocoa stand, model trains and a Christmas trailer for meeting Santa.
- Learn more about the Meet and Greets at Yard Family Christmas Display in Absecon 2021.
Martel’s Christmas Wonderland in Hamilton
- This house was previously featured on the Christmas Light Fight show. It is located at 21 Phillips Avenue Hamilton, NJ. Our family visited it last year in conjunction with a visit to the nearby Kuser Mansion. The yard is filled with lights, inflatables and more. They often have character appearances as well such as Jack Skellington, a Minion, the Grinch and more. To see if there will be a character appearance before your visit check their Facebook page for the latest updates.
Johnny’s Hazlet Holiday Light Extravaganza in Hazlet
- Lights are on daily from 5:30 to 10 pm. Park on a side street and walk to the display. Starting on December 19th to the 24th the Grinch and other characters may appear at this light display until Christmas Eve. Check their Facebook page for the latest updates on appearances.
Visit with characters at the Pop Shop locations in New Jersey
The Pop Shop is a popular destination in Collingswood and Medford for parents with kids. They have character appearances throughout the year and kid-friendly dining. There are also takeout meals and a window to get ice cream. Be sure to call for reservations if trying to dine in during a character event since there is limited seating and many events are reservations only.
Grinch Meet and Greets in Collingswood
- These will be on December 8th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, December 18th from 11 am to 2 pm and December 20th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Be sure to wear pajamas for the visit on the 18th!
Wish Upon a Wednesday Character Dinners in Collingswood with Christmas Belle and Olaf
- Belle will be here on December 15th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. On December 29th Olaf will be here from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.
Grinch Meet and Greets in Medford
- These will be on December 10th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, December 11th from 11 am to 2 pm and December 15th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Be sure to wear pajamas for the visit on the 11th!
Fairytale Friday at the Pop Shop Medford with Christmas Belle
- This will be on December 17th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.
Visit a Skating Rink
The Rink
- This largest skating rink on the East Coast offers lots of fun events throughout the year. Do a skate party with the Grinch on December 12, 2021 from 2 to 8 pm. Photos will be taken at 3 pm, 5 pm and 7 pm. Skate with Troll characters from 1 to 9 pm on December 27, 2021. Skate with Frosty on December 29th from 1 to 9:30 pm. For details on pricing visit the link below. Address is 1775 Creek Road in Edgewater Park, NJ.
Local NJ Businesses have meets and greets with characters!
Visit Speech Language Associates, LLC for a Meet & Greet Grinch & Whoville Family
- This is a free event at 204 Ark Road in Mount Laurel, NJ. There will be crafts, games and photos with the Grinch. Learn sign language while reading books and doing activities on December 11, 2021 from 4 to 5 pm.
Visit Mixed Media, LLC to meet Mr. Mean & Green
- Visit the Grinch here to read a book about his story and do a craft as well. Get pictures taken and play Bingo. The address is 106 Centre Blvd in Suite J and the town of Evesham, NJ. Register at the link below and it is $15 for this class:
Looking for photos with Santa in New Jersey?
Visit our Where and How to Get Unique Santa Pictures in New Jersey for a breakdown by region, county, and town of where you can get photos with Santa in New Jersey this year.
