Worcester, MA — It’s that time of year again! The city of Worcester today announced it will host the annual Festival of Lights on Dec. 5. The annual holiday tree-lighting event will also kick off this year’s public ice skating at the Worcester Common Oval.

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS:

The City’s annual Festival of Lights is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. on the Paul V. Mullaney Plaza, behind City Hall. This year’s event will feature a visit from Santa Claus, children’s choral performances, a holiday tree lighting, concessions, free hot cocoa, horse drawn wagon rides, and public ice skating.

The celebration will open with holiday performances by the Worcester Public Schools All City Chorus, directed by Suzanne Miville; Seven Hills Show Choir led by Kathy Holton; and the Quadrivium Ensemble from Bumcoat High School, conducted by David Twiss. The holiday tree lighting is scheduled to take place at 5:50 PM and then children will have an opportunity to visit Santa on the plaza.

After the tree lighting, the Oval will open for skating. To celebrate the start of this public ice skating season, admission will be free from 6 to 8 p.m.

PUBLIC SKATING ON THE WORCESTER COMMON OVAL:

For the first time, the Oval this year will feature evening skating, from 5 to 8 p.m. on Fridays. The Oval will again be open Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.  Once again, the Oval will be open for daytime skating during school vacation weeks. During the weeks of Dec. 29 and Feb. 16, the Oval will be open from noon until 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, followed by the normal Friday evening open skate.

The rink will be open as the weather allows. A limited number of free parking spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis in the garage under City Hall.

Admission for open skate is $2 (free for kids 6 and younger), and $3 for skate rentals with a $25 refundable deposit per skate rental. The Oval will also be available for private group rentals this year.  The rink will be professionally managed by SMG, the DCU Center’s talented management team.

WOO cards can be swiped at the Festival of Lights and at the Oval for future events. Additional information about the Festival of Lights and the Oval can be found at www.WorcesterCommonOval.com. Visitors are also encouraged to share their Oval experiences on social media, and tag photos with #wooval.

The city of Worcester wants to thank this year’s generous sponsors, including Hanover Insurance Company, MCPHS University, College of the Holy Cross, Fallon Community Health Plan, the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, and Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare. Thanks also to the Telegram & Gazette, the media sponsor of the Festival of Lights.

This notice is part of the WRTA’s ongoing Community Service Program.