A familiar friend for the holidays arrives Thursday evening in the form of a Christmas tree. The annual Philomath Community Tree Lighting, now in its 17th year, begins at 6 p.m. Nov. 30 in front of the Philomath Museum.
Philomath Elementary students will sing, cookies and cocoa will be served and Santa Claus will ride in on the local fire department’s antique engine. The centerpiece moment of the evening is the lighting of the tree with community members typically taking part in a countdown to the moment of illumination.
Hundreds of people traditionally show up for the event to welcome in the holiday season. The celebration at the museum site dates back to 2007. A temporary tree was put in place for the inaugural event but a year later, the giant sequoia that remains was planted.
Santa’s appearance is a highlight for the little ones and accompanied by the Philomath Frolic and Rodeo queen, hands out candy canes and takes the time to pose for photos.
Mack the Knight and Lil Knight, mascots for the Corvallis Knights summer baseball team, are also scheduled to make an appearance.
The event is hosted by the Philomath Area Chamber of Commerce.