Marblehead's Christmas Walk, Tree Lighting Celebration Week Is Here

MARBLEHEAD, MA — Four days of seasonal magic to start the holiday season in style will transform Marblehead into a winter wonderland for the 51st year beginning on Thursday.

The celebration, which runs through Sunday, includes the annual tree lighting Friday night, the Christmas Parade on Saturday, concerts, shopping, dining and much, much more.

The Marblehead Chamber of Commerce will host this year's events with help from the town's philanthropic business community.

Among the highlights on Thursday will be holiday shopping events at several businesses from 5 to 8 p.m. throughout downtown and high school music performances outdoors.

Friday will include the Gingerbread Festival from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Lee Mansion, a holiday mini-market at McRae's on Washington Street from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the tree lighting at the National Grand Bank Parking Lot across from 91 Pleasant Street from 5:30 to 7 p.m., school band and chorus performances and a "Lobster Trip Tree Lighting" with Glovers Regiment at Mud Puddle Toys on Pleasant Street.

On Saturday, there will be a Christmas Fair at Our Lady Star of the Sea on Atlantic Avenue from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Gingerbread Festival at Lee Mansion from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., holiday markets and fairs at Abbot Hall, the Masonic Temple and St. Michael's Episcopal Church, a living nativity and petting zoo at Our Lady Star of the Sea from 1 to 3 p.m, the Christmas Walk Parade starting at State Street Landing at 11:45 a.m. and the Festival Chorus Holiday Concert at Old North Church on Washington Street starting at 8 p.m.

Saturday will also include free trolley service downtown from Marblehead High School from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday's trolley service will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with holiday markets and the Gingerbread Festival again taking place throughout the town, a concert with Molly Williams and the Shooting Stars at Abbot Hall from 2 to 4 p.m. and the Festival Chorus Holiday Concert at Old North Church at 7:30 p.m.

A full list of all the scheduled events and business locations can be found here.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)