Downtown D’Lights brings music, crafts, thousands of lights and more to Perry Square
It will be a delightful and jolly time in Downtown Erie come Dec. 1 when Downtown D’Lights returns to Perry Square.
The Downtown D’Lights event, held by the Erie Downtown Partnership, will kick off at 5 p.m. with some live holiday music on the Perry Square stage.
Attendees will also find multiple charitable events, including a hat and coat drive through Erie United Methodist Alliance to help with their mission to end homelessness in Erie.
Participants also have an opportunity to write a letter to Santa, and Rebich Investments will be donating one dollar, up to $7,500, to the Erie Regional Make-A-Wish for every letter written.
The night will also include ice skating, free hot cocoa, holiday village shops and free shuttling from EMTA, all beginning at 5 p.m.
The shops in the village will consist of some local favorites such as Glass Glowers Gallery, Sundae Vegan Desserts, Erie Ale Works and Luminary Distillery.
Come 5:45 p.m. a special Erie Downtown Partnership video will be shown to hype up the arrival of the big man himself, Santa Claus. This year, Santa is not arriving by sleigh, but rather by EMTA.
Then at 6 p.m., Santa, along with Mayor Joe Schember and students from United Way, will light the 30-foot Christmas Tree. According to Dave Tamulonis, the events and marketing manager at the Erie Downtown Partnership, it is estimated that there are more than 100,000 lights used in the event, presented by UPMC Hamot and UPMC Health Plan.
Be My Neighbor Day hosted by WQLN
After the tree lighting, stick around to talk to Santa at Perry Square Stage, take a ride on the horse-drawn carriage around Perry Square, and even celebrate Be My Neighbor Day at the Boston Store with a special visit from Daniel Tiger.
Be My Neighbor Day will take place in the Boston Store from 6:30-7:45 p.m. and will include a free STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, and Math) kit which will have take-home activities and crafts centered around learning for children.
Children at the event will also go home with a free children’s book from Werner Books & Coffee called “Daniel Plays in the Snow” featuring the beloved children’s character Daniel Tiger.
During Be My Neighbor Day, there will also be a coat and mitten drive. This drive is where participants can bring new, clean mittens to be donated to children in the community in need. The mitten drive collection boxes can also be found around various locations in Erie including Werner Books & Coffee, Fitness U, Studio Sage Yoga, and more.
Learn more about Be My Neighbor Day by visiting wqln.org/Daniel for information.
Holiday events: Where to find holiday entertainment around Erie between Thanksgiving and Christmas
Contact Nicholas Sorensen at nsorensen@timesnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Downtown D'Lights to celebrate holiday season in Perry Square
