Boston's Official Tree Lighting Ceremony

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Official Website: Boston's Official Tree Lighting Ceremony
Location: Boston Common, Boston, MA map
Phone:(617) 635-4505
Date: Thursday, December 4, 2008
Hours: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Ages: Kids, Teens, Adults
In/Outdoor: Outdoor
Cost: Free see below

Soul singer legend Brian McKnight will be the featured entertainer as the City of Boston’s Official Tree Lighting returns to Boston Common on Thursday, December 4, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The 67th annual Tree Lighting on Boston Common is hosted by Mayor Thomas M. Menino and sponsored by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, title sponsor Nova Scotia Come to life, WCVB-TV Channel 5, and Magic 106.7 FM.

The annual holiday display includes over 80 trees throughout Boston Common with additional enhancements for this season including LED lighting illuminating Parkman Bandstand and projections on the ice at the Frog Pond skating rink. The celebration on Boston Common will feature performers from Nova Scotia and New England with WCVB TV-5 providing live coverage of the festivities hosted by Mary Richardson and Anthony Everett.

The entertainment will include R&B singing sensation Brian McKnight, Canadian bluesman
and Juno Award winner Garrett Mason, 16-year-old 2008 Boston POPSEARCH high school winner Katie Mayhew of West Tisbury, the Boston Arts Academy, the Masquerade cabaret troupe, and Magic 106.7’s Nancy Quill and Mike Addams.

There will be refreshments provided by in-kind sponsors including H.P. Hood, Dunkin’ Donuts, Cabot Creamery, Nantucket Nectars, and Starbucks along with fun activities and giveaways from Walt Disney Pictures’ upcoming release “Bedtime Stories” in theatres this Christmas. Immediately following the Common tree lighting, Mayor Menino will join Back Bay residents at Arlington Street for the lighting of Commonwealth Avenue Mall.

The holiday decorations throughout Boston Common and the Public Garden, including the city’s official Christmas tree, a 46-foot white spruce donated by Craig and Marina Cook of Clementsvale in Annapolis County, Nova Scotia, will light up in sequence when Mayor Menino throws the switch with Santa Claus.

The annual holiday display includes over 80 trees throughout Boston Common with additional enhancements for this season including LED lighting illuminating Parkman Bandstand and projections on the ice at the Frog Pond skating rink. The celebration on Boston Common will feature performers from Nova Scotia and New England with WCVB TV-5 providing live coverage of the festivities hosted by Mary Richardson and Anthony Everett.

There will be refreshments provided by in-kind sponsors including H.P. Hood, Dunkin’ Donuts, Cabot Creamery, Nantucket Nectars, and Starbucks. In addition to Brian McKnight, the entertainment will include Canadian bluesman and Juno Award winner Garrett Mason, 16-year-old 2008 Boston POPSEARCH high school winner Katie Mayhew of West Tisbury, the Boston Arts Academy, the Masquerade cabaret troupe, and Magic 106.7’s Nancy Quill and Mike Addams.

Immediately following the Common tree lighting, Mayor Menino will join Back Bay residents at Arlington Street for the lighting of Commonwealth Avenue Mall.

This marks the seventh year that Nova Scotia joins with the City of Boston to present the Christmas tree on Boston Common. It is also the 37th year that Nova Scotia has given a tree to the people of Boston as thanks for relief efforts following the December 6, 1917, explosion of a munitions ship in Halifax Harbor. Within 24 hours of the disaster a train loaded with supplies and emergency personnel was making its way from Boston to Nova Scotia. 2008 marks the 91st anniversary of the Halifax Explosion.

About Brian McKnight
Currently appearing on Broadway in the smash hit “Chicago,” Brian McKnight is a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who can play piano, guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussions, trombone, tuba, French horn, and trumpet. His smooth R&B vocals have helped him sell over 16 million albums. This is Brian’s second time performing at Boston’s tree lighting celebration.

Garrett Mason is a Novia Scotia native who grew up on the blues of Albert Collins, B.B. King, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. His aptitude for strong original compositions and masterful guitar skills have been rewarded with the Juno Award for Best Blues Album, Maple Blues Award for New Artist of the Year, and Canadian Independent Award for Favorite Blues Artist.

For more information on the Boston Common Holiday Tree Lighting, please call (617) 635-4505.

Cost

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Free

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Get there early!