MUSKEGON, Mich. — It might be the day before Thanksgiving, but Muskegon is already getting in the Christmas spirit ahead of their tree lighting ceremony this weekend.
The ceremony marks the beginning of the holiday season in Muskegon, with other festive events planned throughout the month.
The festivities kick off at Hackley Park with Santa's grand entrance. He'll arrive to the ceremony on a Muskegon Fire Department truck, where the mayor will present him with a key to the city. Families can then visit with Santa.
Kyle Karczewski, director of Muskegon Parks and Recreation, said preparations for the ceremony have been underway for quite some time. Trees throughout the park have been wrapped with lights and new interactive decorations are in place. Karczewski said additional decorations have been added almost every day.
The star of the show—the city's Christmas tree—is decked out with multicolored lights and a massive light-up star on top.
"It's the largest we could find, and it's tough to find a tree as big as the one that we have," Karczewski said. "So while it's not real, it's still enormous and beautiful, really well decorated."
Along with the tree lighting ceremony, there will be a miniature train that kids can ride for free, an augmented reality holiday game, free cookies and hot chocolate, and food vendors.
With temperatures expected to drop and snowfall on the way, Karczewski said it will feel like a proper kick-off to the holidays.
"Even though it might be a little chilly, we still encourage everyone to come out and have the Christmas experience or the holiday experience with us," Karczewski said.
The tree lighting ceremony begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30. The decorations will stay up in Hackley Park through Jan. 10.
