Bethesda Row, Cabin John Shopping Center Lead Hanukkah Celebrations

Balloon menorahs, live music, hot latkes and celebrities will lead the 5th annual Bethesda Row Hanukkah show this year.

Katie Balloons, balloon artist and star of the TLC series The Unpoppables, will join Rabbi Sender Geisinsky of the Chabad of Bethesda-Chevy Chase to host "Chanukah Balloonarama" at 5:30 p.m. Sunday on Bethesda Lane.

The event is free and open to the public and includes a balloon show with souvenirs for children, live music, hot latkes, chocolate coins and more, according to a press release.

Meanwhile, the Cabin John Shopping Center in Potomac will host a community Hanukkah menorah lighting celebration titled "Light the Night," from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday. The event will feature Eric Energy's Haunukah Science Specktacular, and includes laser light shows, fog rings, voice changers and more.

Children will receive free menorahs, dreidels, chocolate coins. The event will also feature clowns, magic tricks, balloons and music and dance performances by students of Chabad Hebrew School.

For more information check out the Cabin John Shopping Center event listing here.

According to Rabbi Geisineky, the balloon theme was chosen to reflect the uplifting story of Hanukkah, an event commemorating the victory of Jewish fighters, known as the Maccabees, over the great Syrian-Greek army.

This year, Hanukkah begins on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 8, and ends a week later on Sunday, Dec. 16. For more information on local commemorations check out our Hanukkah in Potomac post here.