Toms River Students Decorating Town's Christmas Tree Friday Morning

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Before Toms River officials flip the switch to light the township's Christmas trees Friday night to officially kick off the holiday season, the trees need to be decorated.

That duty normally falls to the township's public works employees, but this year, there's a special decorating committee: students from the Toms River Regional School District.

There will be 250 students headed to Town Hall Friday morning for the decorating party that will begin at 10 a.m. The tree inside will be decorated, township officials said, and there will be remarks from Toms River Superintendent David Healy and Toms River Council President Brian Kubiel, music from the Toms River High School South choir, and a sing-along with the chorus from the Washington Street Elementary School.

Cookies and hot chocolate will be served in the Lomell Room, and Santa Claus will be swinging by for a quick visit before coming back in the evening for photos with kids.

The ornaments the students will be placing are ones they have created to help commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of Toms River, and the decorating party is part of the kickoff of the township's yearlong celebration, officials said.

The evening tree lighting festivities begin at 6 p.m., with Santa Claus arriving about 8 p.m.

Logo via Toms River municipal Facebook page