Details On Worcester Festival of Lights 2019

WORCESTER, MA — Worcester's 2019 Festival of Lights will be held this weekend with two days of performances, ice skating, shopping, and Santa Claus visits. The festival also serves as a grand opening of the skating rink at Worcester Common.

The Festival of Lights begins at 4:30 p.m. Friday at the common behind City Hall with performances by public school choral groups, a preview of Hanover Theatre's "A Christmas Carol," and a main performance by Nicole Michelle. Other activities include a (heated) beer tent, food trucks, ice skating, Santa Claus, and the city's tree lighting.

Festivities continue on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. when the skating rink opens. Cirque de Light, a holiday-themed stilt walker, will perform at 4 p.m., and face-painting will be available between 4 and 7 p.m. A light show starting at 5 p.m. by luminArtz caps the day.

Alongside the festival, the PopUp at JMAC, 20 Franklin St., will be hosting two days of events.

On Friday, ArtReach will host the event "Illuminations" featuring local artists selling their work. There will also be an ice sculptor starting at 1 p.m., story readings, and a paper craft station. A holiday market will take over the space beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday, plus a satellite market at the Printers Building, 44 Portland St.

The Worcester Common ice rink opened on Nov. 29 and will be open weekends and during school vacations until Feb. 23. Find the rink schedule and ticket prices on the city website.

There will also be several street closures on Friday and Saturday for the Festival of Lights:

Friday, 3 to 9 p.m.

• Front Street closed between Main and Church streets
• Franklin Street closed between Main and Church streets

Saturday, 5 to 7 p.m.

• Front St. closed from Commercial St. to Church St.