Where does Westminster Choir College sing in December? Many Mercer County calendars still put it on the old campus in Princeton. In 2026, most of its holiday performances are at Gill Chapel, on Rider University's campus at 2083 Lawrenceville Road. That puts the season a short drive or a walk away for Lawrence Township residents.
Its best-known show is the exception. Readings & Carols stays at Princeton University Chapel, and it is the one date this season that needs a ticket decision first.
Why the Concerts Moved to Lawrenceville
Westminster moved to Lawrenceville in 2020. A year earlier, Inside Higher Ed reported that a proposed sale of the Princeton campus had fallen through. Rider also said then that running two campuses seven miles apart was not financially feasible.
The move is now permanent. On April 1, 2025, the Municipality of Princeton filed a Declaration of Taking in court. With that filing it took ownership and immediate possession of the old Westminster property through eminent domain, according to Rider's update to its community. Princeton's own notice says the next step is planning for public facility needs, with input from the community. Westminster Conservatory stayed on the Princeton property through June 17, 2025, to finish its semester.
This December, the choirs, bell ensembles and community orchestra that used to perform across town are performing on Lawrenceville Road.
Five Weeks on One Campus
From mid-November to mid-December, Rider's Lawrenceville campus has a public show almost every weekend, spread across three venues: Gill Chapel, the Yvonne Theater and the Bart Luedeke Center Theater.
| Date | Performance | Venue | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., Nov. 15, 5 p.m. | Westminster Jubilee Singers, "Grateful Hallelujahs" | Gill Chapel | $20 adults, $15 students/seniors |
| Fri.–Sun., Nov. 20–22 | The Threepenny Opera | Yvonne Theater | $25 adults, $20 students/seniors |
| Sun., Nov. 22, 7 p.m. | Rider University Chorale, "Sing!" | Gill Chapel | $20 adults, $15 students/seniors |
| Sat., Dec. 5, 2 p.m. and Sun., Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m. | Fall Dance Concert | Yvonne Theater | $20 adults, $15 students/seniors |
| Fri.–Sun., Dec. 11–13 | Stage Door, Revised Edition | Bart Luedeke Center Theater | $20 adults, $15 students/seniors |
| Sun., Dec. 13, 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. | Westminster Concert Bell Choirs, "All Wrapped Up" | Gill Chapel | $20 adults, $15 students/seniors |
| Wed., Dec. 16, 7:30 p.m. | Westminster Community Orchestra, "Holiday Favorites and Sing-Along" | Gill Chapel | Free |
The Threepenny Opera runs Friday, November 20 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, November 21 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, November 22 at 2 p.m. Stage Door follows the same weekend pattern from December 11 to 13. Paid tickets carry a $2 processing fee for each adult, senior and non-Rider student or child ticket. Rider students pay $5 with a valid ID for the theater and dance shows.
The schedule starts in November, ahead of the usual holiday crowding. The Jubilee Singers' "Grateful Hallelujahs" on November 15 is timed to Thanksgiving. The weekend of November 20 to 22 holds both a full opera production and a choral concert. Both are on campus, and they share a Sunday.
December 13 Is the Busiest Day on Campus
Sunday, December 13 is the crowded one. Stage Door has a 2 p.m. matinee in the Bart Luedeke Center Theater that runs until about 4 p.m. At 4 p.m., the Westminster Concert Bell Choirs begin the first of two performances of "All Wrapped Up–Christmas Across Time and Tradition" at Gill Chapel. The second is at 7:30 p.m.
Rider describes the bell choir as playing the world's largest range of handbells and Choirchimes. The program follows Christmas carols as they moved between countries, languages and generations. Gillian Erlenborn conducts.
On that afternoon, two audiences will be arriving and leaving the same campus at about the same time. If you're going to the 4 p.m. bell concert, plan to arrive early and expect the matinee crowd to be heading out as you come in. The 7:30 p.m. performance doesn't overlap with anything else on campus.
The Free Night Is December 16
The Westminster Community Orchestra's "Holiday Favorites and Sing-Along" is the only free show of the season. It runs Wednesday, December 16, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Gill Chapel. Ruth Ochs conducts. The orchestra plays holiday favorites first, then the audience joins a sing-along.
Admission is free. Cash donations are accepted at the door, and Rider says all of the money goes to area food pantries and service organizations. It also falls on a weeknight, between the tree lighting and the trolley rides described below.
The One Show Still in Princeton
An Evening of Readings & Carols is on Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5, at 8 p.m. in Princeton University Chapel. The Chapel Choir, Jubilee Singers, Concert Bell Choir and Westminster Choir all perform.
It is the only Westminster holiday concert in Princeton this season. The Concert Bell Choir also travels to Toms River for a December 11 performance, at 7 p.m. at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts, which sells its own tickets. Readings & Carols is also the one with a ticket deadline that comes well before the show. Online sales open Monday, November 2, at 10 a.m. The early patron program, which came with premium seating, ran from October 1 through October 23, so it closed last week.
The Saturday evening performance falls on the same day as the Fall Dance Concert's 2 p.m. matinee at the Yvonne Theater, which runs until about 3:30 p.m. That leaves time for an afternoon on Lawrenceville Road and an evening in Princeton.
Westminster Conservatory still has a presence in Princeton, too. Its November 19 "Conservatory at Nassau" recital is at Niles Chapel in Nassau Presbyterian Church, not on the Rider campus.
How the Township's Own Events Fit In
Lawrence Township's holiday events fall in the gaps between Rider's shows.
- Saturday, November 28. Lawrenceville Main Street holds Santa in the Park, a free event with cocoa, a decorated gazebo and a visit from Santa. The organization has not yet listed a time or a park for 2026. Check the Main Street calendar closer to the date.
- Thursday, December 3, 6 to 8 p.m. Tree Lighting at Town Hall, run by Lawrence Recreation. That's the night before Readings & Carols opens in Princeton.
- Friday, December 18. Jolly Trolley Rides. This comes two days after the free orchestra night, once Rider's public season has ended.
The township's Community Events page also lists the Holiday House Lighting contest and Jingle for Joy for 2026. It doesn't give dates or details for either one yet, and the trolley listing doesn't yet include times or how to sign up. Those pages usually fill in as December gets closer.
Put the two calendars together and nearly every week from mid-November to December 18 has something in Lawrence Township. Only the December 4 and 5 performances of Readings & Carols require a trip to Princeton.
Tickets and Parking on Lawrenceville Road
All the paid shows on the Lawrenceville campus use one box office. Tickets are sold online at rider.vbotickets.com/events or by phone at 609-896-7775, and box office staff are on site one hour before each performance.
For evening events, Rider points visitors to a signed lot across from the Bart Luedeke Center, which you enter through a gate arm. The university asks visitors to register their vehicle with Public Safety and get a temporary pass. Visitors can also use Rider's open lots, but any car parked there must be registered and show a current-year permit, sticker, hang tag or temporary permit. The Rider parking page has the details. Sort out your pass before December 13, when two shows overlap.
If family is staying with you over the holidays and they want to know what's happening around Lawrence Township, the team at John Terebey keeps track of the local calendar alongside the housing market. Reach out for a free market consultation and home valuation, and ask us what's on in town while you're at it.
