31st Annual Tree Lighting On Westford Common

WESTFORD, MA — Each year for the past 31 years the Westford Common comes aglow as the community celebrates a tree lighting. This year the Annual Tree Lighting, hosted by the Westford Girl Scouts, will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 1.

Start practicing your singing, because there will be caroling led by the Westford Girl Scout Chorus and if you've got any requests for the big guy in the red suit, this may be a good chance to show off your good side. Santa will be there - arriving by fire truck, so no Dasher or Rudolf.

Mark Jarvis, who founded the event 31 years ago and the Westford Garden Club, which purchases and operates the lights will pull the switch around 4:30 p.m. (The sunset for Dec. 1 in Westford? 4:14 p.m.).

Once Santa gets there, he'll head inside the Parish Center for the Arts, across the Common at 10 Lincoln St., to chat with good girls and boys and pose for pictures.

It's candy cane season, so as they have in years past, the Girl Scouts will be handing out candy canes and helping folks with crafts.

Who's behind the event? You can thank the Westford Girl Scouts, the Westford Police Department, the Westford Fire Department, Westford Garden Club, Westford Parks and Recreation, the Town of Westford, Ellen Harde, Rick Posch, and, of course, Santa.

Find out more, or post your own event, at the Patch calendar: Holiday Tree Lighting

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).