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Putnam Valley will be hosting its annual tree ceremony on Friday at 6 p.m. at Leonard Wagner Memorial Park. The event will feature Christmas music, s'mores, hot chocolate and a special appearance by Santa Claus on a fire truck.
Aside from the pine tree, a blowup menorah is also on display. There is also a fire to allow people to cook s'mores.
"It's a really nice community event," Sherry Howard of the Putnam Valley Parks and Recreation Department, said.
This is the 7th year that Putnam Valley has hosted a tree lighting ceremony.
"We're pretty proud of it," Howard said. "A lot of people come; everyone is welcome."
The event will feature a flag retirement ceremony by the Boy Scouts. The Boy Scouts also tend to the fire while the Girl Scouts help decorating the tree. Caitlyn's Fight will be collecting toys for the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital and food is being collected for the Putnam Valley Food Pantry.
About 400 people attend the tree lighting each year.
"The event started out small," Howard said. "But it's grown every year. We planted a small tree and now the tree is growing."
Howard said the holiday season in Putnam Valley is a time for neighbors and family to come together. "We're a very tight knit community," Howard said. "We're just here to celebrate the community. We want everyone to come and have a good time. The event is really a lot of fun."
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