BETHLEHEM, Pa. - "O’ little town of Bethlehem" threw a great big bash on Friday to officially welcome in the holiday season.
The Christmas City tree lighting took place at Payrow Plaza, with Mayor J. William Reynolds and a group of children coming together to flip the switch around 5:30 p.m. following an enthusiastic countdown from the crowd.
The event featured a “Not-So-Silent-Night Concert” with performances from Seth Witcher & 2nd Baptist Church leading Community Sing, The SwingTime Dolls, The Holmes Family and Cunningham & Associates.
The Liberty High School marching band played as guests arrived for the festivities.
The Bethlehem Chamber, the Citizen’s Christmas City Committee and the City of Bethlehem spent weeks decorating for the event. Bethlehem Area School District’s Thomas Jefferson and William Penn elementary schools also created handmade ornaments for the Mayor’s Tree.
Ornaments hung on the trellis in front of the Bethlehem Public Library honored the city’s Moravian roots by using the classic imagery of the candle in the window. The ornaments were engraved in celebration of residents celebrating special moments this year.
The event wrapped up with the arrival of the man of the hour—Santa Claus—atop a fire engine, escorted by members of the Bethlehem Police Department.
