Date set for City’s Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Celebration
(PHILADELPHIA) Wednesday, October 2, 2019 – Mayor Jim Kenney, City Representative Sheila Hess and guests will officially illuminate the holiday tree on Wednesday, December 4th at the City of Philadelphia Official Philly Holiday Tree Lighting Celebration at John F. Kennedy Boulevard North and Broad Street.
The pre-show entertainment will be at 5 p.m., followed by the program featuring the official tree lighting celebration, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The Holiday Tree Lighting, which ushers in the winter holiday season in Philadelphia, will be the grand finale of an evening of nonstop entertainment, which is FREE and open to the public
To celebrate the joy of the holidays, iconic City Hall magically will be transformed into a winter wonderland of family-friendly festivities. Mayor Kenney will share the City Hall stage with an array of Philadelphia-area talent to ring in the holidays.
“I’ve always enjoyed the winter holidays because they give us a chance to pause and count our blessings while spending time with family and friends,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “The annual tree lighting celebration is a great opportunity for all of us to come together and experience some great holiday entertainment as part of the time-honored tradition of lighting our spectacular tree at City Hall. I hope to see Philadelphians from every corner of the city join us on December 4th for the tree lighting and many other wonderful events happening this holiday season.”
The performers will sprinkle their special musical touch on holiday classics and an assortment of seasonal medleys. The performances will set the stage for the finale – the lighting of an age-old towering majestic evergreen tree that will light up the City Hall skyline.
The tree will sit on a custom-steel tree base of more than 7 feet, weighing at least 40,000 pounds. It represents 30 of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods — from Chinatown to Fishtown. The decorative pedestal showcases artful images of Philadelphia’s skyline and icons such as Independence Hall, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.
The tree lighting will be produced by the Office of the City Representative in partnership with Welcome America, Inc. For more than 25 years, the Office of the City Representative has organized festive tree lighting events in Center City at City Hall and LOVE Park.
Said City Representative Hess: “The City’s lighting of the tree marks our introduction to the holiday season. Our ceremony symbolizes the magic and the harmony of the holidays. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the Festival of the Three Kings or other holiday observances, our City of Philadelphia Official Philly Holiday Festival Tree Lighting is a chance to experience the joy of the city, the world and the winter holiday season.”
Check out www.phila.gov for details about the Philly Holiday Festival and a full calendar of events and details on tree lightings around the city.
Holiday revelers can stay up to date on social media at:
Website Link: www.phila.gov
Facebook Handle: Facebook.com/PhillyCityRep
Instagram Handle: @PhillyCityRep
Twitter Handle: @PhillyCityRep