Goshen tree lighting heralds the season
Goshen. It's official! Christmas is coming. Goshen's tree lighting brings joy, and a beloved couple from the North Pole, to the village square
Goshen /
| 13 Dec 2019 | 06:31
The tree lighting ceremony was a great time for friends to get together and welcome the holiday season. Pictured are Kelsey Fitzpatrick, 8, and her mom, Jennifer; Gabriella Gonzalez, 9, and her mom Janet. With them is their friend, Leah, 8. The girls are all in Brownie Troop 487 in Goshen. They came to sing holiday favorites like “Jingle Bells" and “Frosty the Snowman.” Recently they enjoyed entertaining residents with holiday carols at Valley View Nursing Center. (
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Santa and Mrs. Claus were welcomed guests at the Tree Lighting ceremony in Goshen. (
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Aren’t brother and sister Chloe, 6, and Liam, 8, Erario cute Santa’s elves? The Goshenites came to the tree lighting with their parents, Chris and Julissa Erario. Julissa called the event “fabulous!" (
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Gunner Conklin, 5, is all lit up to celebrate the season! Here he is on dad’s shoulder to get a good view of Santa. Gunner attended the tree lighting ceremony with his mom, Katie, and his dad, Mike. “Gunner’s been talking about the tree lighting all week and looking forward to coming. He’s been counting down the days for two weeks now. He loves wearing the lights,” said his Mom. (
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It was a cold, but clear night, with snow on the ground, and as twilight descended into dusk, Saturday, Dec. 7 certainly called out “Christmas is coming!”
Then, with happy anticipation, the crowd that had gathered at the Village Green heard the blare of a fire engine siren, announcing the coming of special visitors. As Santa and Mrs. Claus stepped out of the shiny red fire engine, they joyfully waved and greeted the excited children, making this a traditional Christmas scene to remember.
Adding to the excitement of the night was Ken Tschan’s robust rendition of Clement Moore’s “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Tschan is an accomplished actor and owner of Cornerstone Theatre Arts, located at 223 Main Street in Goshen.
Filling the air and adding to the atmosphere were traditional holiday carols provided by members of the Goshen High School Varsity Choir and the Concert Band, the Praise Team from the Goshen Christian Reformed Church, and local scout troops.
Of course, there were many “oohs and ahs” as Santa Claus turned the switch to light up the large tree, signaling that the holiday season is truly here!
“I was pleased to see all the smiling faces at the tree lighting despite the cold weather,” said Kyle Roddey, chair of the event on behalf of Illuminate Goshen. "I’m glad so many came to this great event. It’s wonderful it is to be a part of the Goshen community."