VENTNOR - Friday evening, Dec. 2 marked the seventh year the city hosted its Holiday Tree Lighting.
Adults and children gathered around the 20-foot tall blue spruce tree in the courtyard at the Sacramento Avenue entrance to Ventnor City Hall in anticipation of lighting the way to a peaceful holiday season.
Mayor Beth Holtzman thanked members of the city's Public Works team for spending the entire week decorating the tree with colored lights and red bows. All the bushes along the Atlantic Avenue side of City Hall were brightly lit with blue-tinged LED lights.
Holtzman also thanked members of the city's Police and Fire departments for volunteering their time to ensure those who attended the event were kept safe during the festivities.
The mayor selected a boy from the crowd to do the honors turning on the lights. Commissioner Lance Landgraf gave the boy some instructions as the mayor started the countdown. "Five...four...three...two...one," and the tree was lit, bringing sighs of joy and applause from the crowd.
Merry Christmas, and a happy and healthy New Year to everybody," Holtzman said.
Santa Claus made a guest appearance from behind historic City Hall's double oak doors. He took his seat at the top of the steps and children lined up to take pictures with family members.
Santa was overheard inviting all the children to see him again on Saturday, when he arrives in Ventnor aboard a Ventnor Beach Patrol surf boat.
The parade will be held on Ventnor Avenue starting at 5 p.m. Activities will be held following the parade next to the Ventnor Square movie theater in the North Beach section of the city.
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