The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce is pleased to light up the season with the annual Holiday Tree Lighting. The Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held on Friday, December 3, 2021 from 5:30-6:30pm at Central Square in downtown Rochester. This event, underwritten by First Seacoast Bank, will include the ceremony and lighting of Rochester’s tree for the first time to kick off the 2021 Holiday Season.

A program of family activities will also take place as part of the Holiday Tree Lighting, sponsored by Xfinity, including the reading of The Night Before Christmas, caroling and dance performances by Studio 109 Dance, Voice & Drama and cookie decorating at the Chamber, provided by the Rochester Child Care Center. Attendees will also enjoy the tree lighting ceremony, sponsored by Profile Bank. Cookies and hot chocolate will be provided by Potters House Bakery & Cafe, and a very special visit from Santa Claus will take place at First Seacoast Bank, located at 17 Wakefield Street in Rochester, any time between 5:30-6:30pm. Be sure to bring your camera for pictures! The event will be live-streamed and filmed so that it can be rebroadcast during the holiday season, sponsored by JetPack Comics.

In conjunction with the Tree Lighting, there will also be a collection of items to benefit the Homeless Center of Strafford County. Sponsored by Holy Rosary Credit Union, items being collected include new books for children ages 8-17, new puzzles for children ages 12+, toilet paper, and paper towels. Items may be brought to the Chamber office now through December 17, 2021 and collection boxes will be available at the Tree Lighting on December 3.

For more information about the Holiday Tree Lighting, Collection for the Homeless, or for information and entry forms for Rochester’s “A Comic Book Christmas” Holiday Parade on Sunday, December 5th, please contact the Chamber office at 603-332-5080 or visit www.rochesternh.org.