Santa Claus will come to Gainesville early this year, and he’ll bring a brilliantly lit tree with him.
Santa, Christmas carols and carriage rides will be part of the city’s Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Celebration on Saturday, said Katharine Forbes, marketing technician for the City of Gainesville Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs.
The free event will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Thomas Center, located on 302 NE Sixth Ave. The center is a post-Victorian building from the early 1900s.
“The heart of the celebration are the decorations at the historic Thomas Center,” Forbes said.
There will be a Christmas tree on the Spanish Court of the center, which Mayor Craig Lowe will light, Forbes said.
Caroling by the Singers of the Reformation and the Gainesville Harmony Show Chorus will also be featured at the event.
The center hosted the event last year, Forbes said, and it has been celebrated for more than 25 years.
Carriage rides will also be offered from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Rides cost $6 for adults and $1 for children, Forbes said.
The Gainesville Regional Utilities and the Thomas Center are sponsoring the event. According to its website, GRU will have a booth set up at the event with holiday-themed giveaways and historical utility artifacts.
The celebration attracts about 700 people each year, Forbes said. They expect this year’s turnout to be the same.
The Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs will also host a New Years countdown celebration Dec. 31 at 10 p.m., Forbes said. The free event will be held on Bo Diddley Community Plaza, at 111 E. University Ave.
