Tree Lighting Kicks Off Holidays In Montgomery

MONTGOMERY, IL — Montgomery’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place on at 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec.2 in front of the Village Hall, 200 N. River St. This is a free event for the entire community and is hosted jointly by the Village of Montgomery and the Greater Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce (GMACC).

The event will kick off as students from local grade schools decorate the Village Christmas tree with handmade ornaments, followed by the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus in fire trucks with sirens blaring. After the lighting of the Christmas tree, children can visit Santa and take photos inside the Village Hall while everyone enjoys musical numbers performed by the students outside on the Park District’s Sound Stage.

Free hot cocoa and cookies will be provided throughout the evening by the GMACC. A US Marine will also be present to accept unwrapped gifts for the Toys for Tots program. Be sure to dress for the weather and bring your camera.

Enter Montgomery's Holiday Decorating Contest

The village Hall will once again host a Festival of Trees that will turn all three levels of the Village Hall into a winter wonderland. Area businesses participate by decorating Christmas trees for everyone to enjoy, and visitors of all ages are invited to vote for their favorite tree. Some businesses will even be sponsoring fun raffles and prizes that evening.

The Festival of Trees will continue for three weeks, so those unable to attend the Dec. 2 event can still stop by to view the beautiful trees and vote for their favorite during business hours until Dec. 21.

If you are a business interested in putting up a tree or if you know of a youth group that might be interested in performing, call Debbie Buchanan at 630-896-8080 ext. 9003.

In addition to on-street parking, two public parking lots are available behind the Village Hall along Main Street.

Submitted via the Village of Montgomery

Photo via Shutterstock