BURK'S FALLS, Ont. — The Village of Burk’s Falls is bringing back its tree-lighting ceremony.
The lighting of the tree takes place at Stan Darling Park on Nov. 30 at 6:30 p.m.
The return of the event is a joint initiative by the Burk's Falls Recreation Committee and the Downtown Development Committee, both chaired by Coun. Ashley Brandt.
Brandt says COVID-19 sidelined the annual event and when the new council took office two years ago the decision was made to bring it back with new touches.
In a new wrinkle of the event, attendees will be asked to decorate and hang wooden ornaments on the Christmas tree. Brandt says the ornaments can be decorated any way the public likes or painted to honour the memory of a loved one.
The ornaments can be acquired by a donation amount of choice at the municipal office. They are also available at the Burk’s Falls Kwik Way, Home Hardware, the Riverbowl and Billiard, Valu-mart and The Pub.
Brandt says all the proceeds from the ornaments will go into the budgets of both committees to help with future recreation programs at Knights Brothers Park and downtown projects.
“We’re hoping to make this a new tradition,” she says. “We want people to hang their ornaments on the day of the tree-lighting."
Brandt says later, when it’s time for the decorations to come down, the public can either take their ornament home or leave it for the Village of Burk’s Falls. She says the ornaments that are left for the village will be stored until next year’s tree-lighting event.
Brandt says the tree-lighting is designed to encourage as many people as possible to come to the downtown in an effort to also support local businesses, so several events are planned.
From 4 to 6 p.m., there is a family bowl at the Riverbowl, followed 30 minutes later by the tree-lighting.
At the tree-lighting, warm apple cider will be served in addition to hot chocolate and baked goods made possible by donations.
There will also be Christmas carol singing.
The evening ends with an ugly sweater contest at The Pub beginning at 8 p.m. and until closing.
The tree-lighting involves a Christmas tree the village planted several years ago and is now about eight feet tall.
Burk’s Falls is a community of about 900 people, and Brandt says it would be nice if many residents can make it to Stan Darling Park, where they can make lasting memories with friends and family.
Rocco Frangione is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter with NorthBayNipissing.com. LJI is funded by the Government of Canada.
