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A Swingin' Sleigh Ride: Squirrel Nut Zippers to Hit the Road for the Holidays

The tour will present a Whimsical Wintertime Journey Through Jazz, Swing, and Holiday Cheer

Published by New Jersey Stage

originally published: 11/22/2025

(NEWTON, NJ) -- Beloved genre-bending jazz ensemble Squirrel Nut Zippers are bringing their legendary Christmas Caravan Tour back for the 2025 holiday season! With a festive blend of holiday classics, original seasonal fare, and the band's signature fusion of early American jazz, swing, and vaudeville, this annual fan-favorite tour promises to, once again, spread yuletide joy across the country. The tour comes to The Newton Theatre on Saturday, December 6, 2025.

The tour will hit theaters, concert halls, and historic venues nationwide, transforming each stop into a rollicking holiday revue steeped in old-time flair and infectious energy. Tickets are available now at www.snzippers.com.

Launched in the late '90s, the Christmas Caravan album and tour became a hallmark of the band's eclectic career, with the record selling a quarter of a million copies and reaching #12 on the Billboard Holiday Albums chart. The 2025 routing will feature a mix of time-honored Zippers originals like "A Johnny Ace Christmas" and "I'm Coming Home for Christmas," reimagined carols, and lively holiday storytelling—all performed with the theatricality and musical craftsmanship that fans have come to expect.

Jimbo Mathus, bandleader and co-founder, said, "The Christmas Caravan isn't just a concert—it's a full-on holiday escape, a snowy street corner under the gaslights of a 1920s New Orleans night. We're thrilled to keep this tradition alive and evolving."

Fans can expect dazzling costumes, vintage visuals, and a multi-instrumental lineup of world-class musicians who bring the holiday spirit to life in a way only the Zippers can.




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The Platinum recording artists have sold over three million albums to-date with their watershed album, Hot (1996), making them a household name. Recorded in the heat of New Orleans, fueled by a smoldering mix of booze and a youthful hunger to unlock the secrets of old-world jazz, this pivotal release was just the beginning for the band. Since then, SNZ has unveiled such hits as Beasts Of Burgundy (2018), which debuted at #4 on the Billboard Jazz Albums Chart, and the Lost Songs of Doc Souchon, which debuted in late 2020. It featured 10 tracks – a combination of newly-penned Zippers songs, along with a few tunes from past times – and has received acclaim from fans and critics alike. 

Official tour dates for "An Evening with the Squirrel Nut Zippers Christmas Caravan Tour," are as follows: 

*Dates subject to change. 

December 3                  Greenwich Odeum                                East Greenwich, RI 

December 4                  Nashua Center for the Arts                    Nashua, NH

December 5                  Cabot Theatre                                      Beverly, MA

December 6                  The Newton Theatre                             Newton, NJ




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December 7                  Jefferson Center                                   Roanoke, VA

December 8                  Bijou Theatre                                        Knoxville, TN

December 10                Magic Bag                                            Detroit, MI

December 11                Park West                                             Chicago, IL 

December 12                Stoughton Opera House                        Stoughton, MA

December 13                Turner Ballroom                                    Milwaukee, WI

December 15                The Parkway Theater                            Minneapolis, MN

December 16                Knuckleheads                                      Kansas City, KS

December 18                Lincoln Center                                      Ft. Collins, CO

December 19                Lensic Performing Arts Center               Santa Fe, NM




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December 21                Fox Tucson Theatre                              Tucson, AZ


EVENT PREVIEWS

(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Outpost in the Burbs presents Suzanne Vega - Flying with Angels on October 30, 2026 at 8:00pm (doors at 7:00pm). The concert will take place at the First Congregational Church (40 South Fullerton Avenue) in Montclair.

CarteretPAC presents John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band

(CARTERET, NJ) -- The Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center presents John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band on Friday, November 13, 2026 at 8:00pm. The legendary Rhode Island multi-platinum rock band began their career in 1973 and achieved mainstream success in the 1980s with the "Eddie & The Cruisers – Motion Picture Soundtrack".

Outpost in the Burbs Presents Richard Thompson with Zara Phillips in Benefit Concert for Toni's Kitchen on November 21st

(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Outpost in the Burbs will present an extraordinary evening of music featuring singer-songwriter and guitarist Richard Thompson with Zara Phillips on Saturday, November 21, 2026 at the First Congregational Church in Montclair. The special concert will serve as a fundraiser in support of Toni's Kitchen, the Montclair based nonprofit dedicated to combating food insecurity and related challenges in Essex County and beyond. Showtime is 8:00pm.
 

FEATURED EVENTS



The Temptations & The Four Tops

Sunday, October 18, 2026 @ 6:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ


Toad the Wet Sprocket: Rings: The Acoustic Tour

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ


Here Come the Mummies

Thursday, October 22, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center
46 Washington Ave, Carteret, NJ


The Sixties Show

Thursday, October 22, 2026 @ 7:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ


Croce Plays Croce

Thursday, October 22, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ