78TH ANNUAL TACOMA HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING
Tacoma’s annual tree lighting ceremony, which marks the official start of the holiday season in downtown Tacoma, is being held Saturday, November 25 at 5pm at Pantages Theater (901 Broadway).
The festivities start earlier that day, with Tacoma Concert Band presenting their holiday show ‘Joy to the World’ at 3pm. Tickets for the performance are available at ticketmaster.com. Tickets for guests 18 and under are free and available at the Pantages Theater Box Office.
From 5pm, the Pantages lobby doors will be opened to the community for a free open house (no ticket required). Enjoy complimentary hot drinks and cookies, take photos with Santa and Mrs. Clause, and enjoy live music performed by a brass quartet from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Guests will then gather outside the Pantages and countdown to the 6pm tree lighting, where the community gathering will be captured with a photo.
“It’s an honor to once again be a part of this long-standing Tacoma tradition. This event is always an exciting way to welcome the community to their downtown Historic Theater District as we celebrate the opening of the holiday season together,” said Lynn Carlotto, Tacoma City Theaters’ General Manager. “This is the busiest time of the year for the theaters, and with a diverse range of entertainment on offer there’s something for everyone to enjoy!”
Upcoming events include two performances of Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour, Symphony Tacoma’s Holiday Favorites, Puget Sound Revels’ The Midwinter Revels: Silk Road Merchants Meet Medieval England, Seattle Men’s Chorus’ A TREEmendous Holiday, O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy, The Nutcracker by Tacoma City Ballet – extended to five performances due to popular demand, Christmas with C.S. Lewis, and the Rocky Mountain High Experience®: A John Denver Christmas.
Another free event on November 30 will be presented by Tacoma City Theaters, in conjunction with the Downtown Tacoma Partnerships’ Holiday Haul Crawl. From 4pm – 7pm, the Pantages Theater will be hosting pet and family photos with a professional photographer in the festively-decorated lobby.
The Pantages Theater will also once again be the site of the traditional Menorah lighting, this year being held on December 9. More details to follow.
First celebrated in 1945, the Holiday Tree Lighting inspires people everywhere to take time to enjoy cherished traditions and memories made with family and friends during the holiday season. The tree is decorated over several days with more than 250’ of lights and holiday décor and is situated at the corner of 9th Street and Broadway. It is free to visit and will be in place until January 1, 2024.
