20 Tree Lighting Ceremony Ideas for Towns and Downtowns

A tree lighting is a ten-second event with an hour on either side of it, and the towns that get it right plan those two hours as carefully as the countdown. Carolers on the bandstand while the crowd gathers, Santa arriving on a sleigh train as the mayor takes the microphone, a snow machine timed to the moment the lights come on, and a synthetic ice rink on the common that keeps families downtown for an hour after: that is a tree lighting people drive in for, and every piece of it is a rental that arrives in one truck.

Here are 20 tree lighting ceremony ideas organized in run-of-show order: before the countdown, the lighting moment, keeping families downtown after, and the photo stops that run all night. Every one of them is rentable from the winter rentals collection at Perfect Parties USA, and each comes with a planning tip on timing, space or power, whether your common is in Peabody, Worcester or Manchester. Publish this plan in October, because select boards and downtown associations book November dates now.

Before the Countdown

The hour the crowd gathers, and the entertainment that gathers it.

1. Christmas Carolers

Christmas Carolers: A caroling group on the bandstand or strolling the sidewalk while the crowd arrives. Planning Tip: Book two sets, one as the crowd gathers and one right before the countdown. Rent the Christmas Carolers.

2. Holiday Entertainers

Holiday Entertainers: Strolling holiday performers who work the crowd along the storefronts. Planning Tip: Send them down the merchant side of the street so the shops get the foot traffic. Rent the Holiday Entertainers.

3. A Living Statue

Living Statue Performer: A living statue in winter costume at the entrance to the common that kids dare each other to approach. Planning Tip: Place it where the crowd funnels in from parking. Rent the Living Statue Performer.

4. Santa Claus

Santa Claus: Santa for the arrival, the countdown and a photo line afterward. Planning Tip: Keep Santa out of sight until the arrival so the moment lands. Rent the Santa Claus.

5. Mrs. Claus

Mrs. Claus: Mrs. Claus reading to the youngest kids in a warm corner while the older ones wait for the countdown. Planning Tip: Put the story corner in the library or a heated tent beside the common. Rent the Mrs. Claus.

6. Frosty the Snowman

Frosty the Snowman: A costumed Frosty who greets the crowd and works the photo line. Planning Tip: Frosty covers the wait while Santa is behind the tree. Rent the Frosty the Snowman.

The Lighting Moment

The ten seconds the whole night is built around.

7. Santa Arrives by Sleigh Train

Enchanted Sleigh Train Ride: The trackless train dressed as a sleigh, which carries Santa in from the far end of the common as the countdown starts and then gives rides for the rest of the night. Planning Tip: Map a loop that ends at the tree and start the ride at the exact minute the mayor takes the microphone. Rent the Enchanted Sleigh Train Ride.

8. A Snow Machine on the Countdown

Snow Machine: A snow machine timed to the moment the lights come on. Planning Tip: Position it upwind of the crowd and test it in daylight; the effect is the photo everyone takes. Rent the Snow Machine.

9. Marquee Letters Under the Tree

LED Letters: Marquee LED letters spelling the town name or the year beside the tree, lit on the same switch. Planning Tip: Put them where the news camera stands. Rent the LED Letters.

10. A Confetti Launch

Confetti Shot Launcher: A confetti launcher for the second the tree lights. Planning Tip: One launch, aimed over the crowd, with a cleanup crew ready. Rent the Confetti Shot Launcher.

Keeping Families Downtown After

The hour after the lights, and the reason to stay.

11. A Synthetic Ice Rink on the Common

Synthetic Ice Skating Rink: A synthetic ice rink built from interlocking panels, with fencing and skates in assorted sizes, that runs with no refrigeration; the smallest open skating setup is 20 by 40 feet for up to 25 skaters at a time. Planning Tip: Open it the moment the lights come on and it holds families downtown for an hour. Rent the Synthetic Ice Skating Rink.

12. Rental Skates for Every Size

Ice Skates: Extra pairs of rental skates so the line at the rink fence moves. Planning Tip: Add a skate tent with benches beside the rink. Rent the Ice Skates.

13. Sleigh Train Rides

Enchanted Sleigh Train Ride: After the arrival, the sleigh train loops the common with families aboard until closing. Planning Tip: A five to seven minute loop keeps the line short. Rent the Enchanted Sleigh Train Ride.

14. Snow Mazing

Snow Mazing: An inflatable snow maze that runs kids through its turns while parents shop. Planning Tip: Set it on the merchant side of the street. Rent the Snow Mazing.

15. A Gingerbread House Station

Gingerbread House Making Station: A staffed station in a heated tent or the community room where kids build a house to take home. Planning Tip: Hand out numbered tickets at the tree so the houses last. Rent the Gingerbread House Making Station.

16. A Hot Chocolate Station

Hot Chocolate: A staffed hot chocolate station beside the rink. Planning Tip: It is the reason families stay past the countdown in December. Rent the Hot Chocolate.

Photo Stops That Run All Night

The pictures that become the town’s social feed for the season.

17. Santa Photos

Santa Photos: A staffed Santa photo set with a proper backdrop, run as a line after the countdown. Planning Tip: Give every family a numbered ticket at the tree so the line has an order. Rent the Santa Photos.

18. A Santa Sleigh Selfie

Santa Sleigh Selfie: A sleigh photo prop for the families who would rather take their own. Planning Tip: Set it under the tree once the crowd thins. Rent the Santa Sleigh Selfie.

19. An Inflatable Snow Globe

Inflatable Snow Globe: A walk-in inflatable snow globe families step into for a photo. Planning Tip: Light it from inside so it glows from across the common. Rent the Inflatable Snow Globe.

20. SnowGlobe Live

SnowGlobe Live: A walk-in snow globe with a performer inside, the photo moment of the night. Planning Tip: Put it at the crowd’s entrance so every family passes it twice. Rent the SnowGlobe Live.

How to Choose Tree Lighting Attractions for Your Town

Start with your common and your budget. A small town with a bandstand runs well on the carolers, Santa on the sleigh train, the snow machine and a hot chocolate line, and the whole lineup fits one truck. A downtown association with a merchant stroll adds the strolling entertainers on the storefront side, the snow maze and the gingerbread tent. A city common with a big crowd earns the synthetic ice rink, which holds families downtown for an hour after the lights, and for a rink that stays up through the holidays or a larger installation, the Artificial Ice Events tree lighting page covers the season-long option. The winter festival entertainment ideas post has the rest of the winter lineup.

As a rule of thumb, plan for one attraction per 150 to 200 guests after the countdown and give the rink and the train their own line managers, and book in October, because select boards across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island hold their lightings on the same two Saturdays after Thanksgiving. If you are on the North Shore, the amusement ride rentals in Peabody, MA page shows what is nearby, and the company holiday party ideas guide covers the corporate version of the same December.

Rent Tree Lighting Attractions From Perfect Parties USA

Perfect Parties USA is based in Peabody, Massachusetts and owns hundreds of attractions, including every rentable item on this list, so the games you book are the games that arrive, maintained and ready to play. Every rental includes delivery, professional setup, trained attendants and prizes for staffed games, and complete teardown. We are fully insured, with a certificate of insurance available for venues and schools, and we have produced events of every size across New England and the Northeast for decades, from Massachusetts, Boston, Connecticut and Rhode Island to New Hampshire and New York.

Ready to get this party started? Contact Perfect Parties USA to talk to one of our Party Pros. Request a Quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best tree lighting ceremony ideas for a small town?

The best small-town tree lighting ideas are carolers while the crowd gathers, Santa arriving on the Enchanted Sleigh Train Ride as the countdown starts, a snow machine timed to the lights, a hot chocolate station and Santa photos afterward. Perfect Parties USA runs that lineup for towns across New England, and it fits one truck.

How do you keep families downtown after a tree lighting?

Give them something to do the moment the lights come on: a synthetic ice rink on the common with skates in every size, sleigh train rides around the green, an inflatable snow maze on the merchant side of the street and a hot chocolate line. The rink alone holds families downtown for an hour, which is the hour the shops stay open.

How big is a synthetic ice rink for a tree lighting and does it need power?

The Synthetic Ice Skating Rink is built from interlocking panels, so the size fits your common; the smallest open skating setup is 20 by 40 feet for up to 25 skaters at a time, and it needs no refrigeration or power to maintain the surface. Fencing and rental skates in assorted sizes are included, and Perfect Parties USA can keep the rink up for a season through Artificial Ice Events.

Can you rent Santa and a sleigh for a tree lighting?

Yes, Perfect Parties USA rents Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, the Enchanted Sleigh Train Ride that carries Santa in for the countdown and then gives rides, a staffed Santa photo set and a Santa Sleigh Selfie prop for tree lightings across Massachusetts and New England, with the performers and the train driver included.

Does Perfect Parties USA deliver tree lighting rentals in Massachusetts and New England?

Yes, Perfect Parties USA delivers tree lighting rentals to towns and downtown associations across Massachusetts, including Boston and the North Shore, and throughout Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and New York. The company is based in Peabody, Massachusetts and provides a certificate of insurance for town events on request.

What tree lighting ideas work for a downtown merchant stroll?

For a merchant stroll, send strolling holiday entertainers and the carolers down the storefront side of the street, set the inflatable snow maze and the gingerbread tent where the shops are, and run the sleigh train on a loop that passes every block. The attractions keep families on the sidewalk, which is what the merchants are paying for.

How far in advance should a town book tree lighting rentals?

Book tree lighting rentals in October, because most New England towns hold their lightings on the same two Saturdays after Thanksgiving and the synthetic ice rink, the sleigh train and Santa are reserved first. Booking early with Perfect Parties USA also leaves time to plan the run of show and the power with a Party Pro.