The annual Christmas tree lighting will be held at West Lampeter municipal building, 852 Village Road, Lampeter, on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m. The long-standing holiday tradition will include refreshments, Christmas music and a visit from Saint Nick himself.

Members of the Lampeter Fire Company will provide hot chocolate for attendees, and complimentary Christmas cookies will be offered by DoubleTree Resort in Willow Street. Girl Scouts from local troops will be present to operate a craft station for children to participate in. Performers from Melanie's Miracles Baton Twirling School will offer a show once the tree lighting is finished.

The Lampeter-Strasburg High School band will play Christmas music as the tree is lit, including a variety of Christmas carols that audience members may sing along to. Once the lighting is complete, members of the Willow Street Fire Department will arrive with Santa, who will hand out candy canes and say hello to children.

The tree-lighting tradition was started by a volunteer committee that introduced the concept to the township. Anne Dunnenberger, a member of the committee, has managed the event for nearly two decades.

"It's like our own personal little Hallmark movie," Dunnenberger said. "It's fun to have people come together, and the kids love seeing Santa on the firetruck. We all just have fun together and really love our Lampeter community."

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, attendees of the tree lighting typically moved to the Lampeter Fire Company's building to socialize and enjoy hot chocolate. The entire event was moved outside for safety reasons in 2020, but Dunnenberger decided to stay outdoors even after pandemic-related concerns had died down. This is Dunnenberger's last year coordinating the event, and members of the township's parks and recreation commission plan to take over the tradition next year. "For years, the same people have been coming out for this. To see the high school band, the Girl Scouts, firefighters come together to make it possible, it shows how much people are invested in the community," Dunnenberger said.

In addition to the West Lampeter tree lighting, the Willow Street Fire Company, 2901 Willow Street Pike, Willow Street, will host its own Christmas tree lighting on Friday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m.