Downstairs, in the Lower Level Grand Court near Macy's, Santa has been posing for photos since November 5 and will stay through December 24. One level up, on Level 2, Toys "R" Us is open in Space D245 and Peter Millar has its first New Jersey boutique near the Macy's end of the upper level. Down the same corridor toward Neiman Marcus, a Patek Philippe storefront is still marked "Coming Soon."
That covers the whole season at The Mall at Short Hills this year. There's no single headline night. Instead you get one Santa set that runs for weeks, a few dated extras, and a holiday-hours calendar that lengthens the shopping day in steps. Once you know when those steps fall, it's easy to pick the right day to go.
A Season Without a Main Event
NJ.com's holiday roundup reports that Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, about 20 miles north, holds its annual Big Santa celebration on November 22, with live performances and a fireworks finale set to holiday music. Singer-songwriter Ryan Cabrera hosts, starting at 4 p.m.
Short Hills has nothing like that on its 2026 calendar. The same roundup lists an arrival-free plan: Santa from November 5 through December 24, reservations through WhereIsSanta.com with walk-ups taken when there's room, and a few events on set dates. Without one peak day, a Tuesday in early December is as good as a Saturday for the main attraction. For many households that makes the season easier to plan.
What Changed on Level 2
The new names this fall sit on the upper level. That matters if you're combining a Santa visit with gift shopping, because Santa is downstairs near Macy's and the newest stores are one escalator ride up.
- Toys "R" Us, Space D245. Simon's directory lists it as "Now Open" on Level 2. The store is part of a 120-location standalone expansion that Toys "R" Us launched with Go! Retail Group for this holiday season. NJ.com reported in September that the expansion brings the chain to 160 standalone stores, and that the new stores carry LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Pokémon and KPop Demon Hunters. The Go! Retail Group store page lists the phone number as 973-899-2004 and says times may vary on holidays.
- Peter Millar, Suite D214A. Patch reported in September that this is the brand's first New Jersey boutique. It carries tailored sport coats and a full sportswear collection, and the plans called for a bar and a residential-style seating area. The Peter Millar store page gives the suite number, and Simon now lists the shop as open on the upper level near Macy's.
- Patek Philippe, Suite 230. NJ.com first reported the boutique in August, on Level 2 near Neiman Marcus. Both Simon's directory and London Jewelers' Short Hills page still show it as "Coming Soon."
Simon's store directory also marks CREED, Garage, Exodus Architectural Woodwork and an Upper Level Sunglass Hut as "Coming Soon." The upper level will keep changing as the season goes on.
The Dated Events Inside the Seven Weeks
Most of the programming is spread out, with a few fixed dates. Here's what's left on the calendar as of this week:
Date | Event | Time | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
Through Nov. 22 | Styled @Short Hills complimentary holiday personal shopping | By appointment | Early gift planning, before Thanksgiving week |
Nov. 27, Black Friday | Yuletide Carolers, balloon artists | Carolers 1 to 4 p.m. | First of the weekend performances |
Saturdays and Sundays all season | Yuletide Carolers, balloon artists | Carolers 1 to 4 p.m. | The weekend extras around Santa |
Dec. 6 | Caring Santa, an inclusive photo event | 9 to 10:30 a.m. | Ends before the mall's 11 a.m. Sunday opening |
Through Dec. 24 | Santa photos and visits, Lower Level Grand Court | Book through WhereIsSanta.com | Walk-ups if space permits |
Dec. 24, Christmas Eve | Balloon artists | Christmas Eve | The season's final day |
Two details in NJ.com's roundup are worth knowing before you book a photo. New this year, some Santa packages include Pixie Post digital greeting cards that you can personalize, share by text or email, or schedule to send later. The first 250 customers who buy an Elite package also get a free custom Mall at Short Hills ornament.
Caring Santa has its own booking page. December 6 is a Sunday, and the mall's regular Sunday hours start at 11 a.m., so the 9 a.m. session ends before regular opening.
The Hours Stretch in Steps
Simon's hours page lists regular hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Against that baseline, the special hours come in four stages:
- Thanksgiving weekend. Closed on Thanksgiving, November 26. Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Black Friday and Saturday, November 28, then 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, November 29.
- The mid-December weekend. Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, December 11 and 12, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, December 13. That Sunday runs two hours past the usual 6 p.m. close.
- The last full week. Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. December 15 through 17. From December 18 the mall opens at 9 a.m. and stays open until 9 p.m. every day except Sunday, December 20, which runs 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The 9-to-9 schedule continues through December 23.
- Christmas Eve. Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., the earliest opening on the calendar.
Weekdays in the first half of December stay on regular hours, so evening shopping is limited until the run that begins December 15. Santa is in the Grand Court the whole time, though. A Santa photo and a stop upstairs at Toys "R" Us fit inside a regular-hours weekday in early December.
On Christmas Eve, the mall opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. That's the last day for Santa and the last scheduled day for the balloon artists. An early arrival that morning gives you the most time before the season closes.
After the Twenty-Fourth
The mall is closed on Christmas Day. It reopens December 26 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., then runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, December 27. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day both run 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Simon's hours page is a live schedule, and Toys "R" Us notes that its own hours may vary on holidays, so check both before a late-evening trip.
By New Year's, the Level 2 directory may look a little different from today's, with Patek Philippe, CREED and the other "Coming Soon" listings working toward opening. For now, the season comes down to Santa downstairs near Macy's, Toys "R" Us and Peter Millar upstairs, and an 8 a.m. opening on December 24.
When the holidays wind down and your own plans for the new year include a move, a sale or a closer look at your home's value, Richa Garg brings the same date-by-date planning to your real estate timeline. Book an appointment to talk through the season ahead.
