Downtown Peabody To Host Holiday Stroll, Tree Lighting

PEABODY, MA — It should be a more traditional holiday season in downtown Peabody this year after the holiday stroll and city Christmas tree lighting ceremony was curtailed because of the coronavirus crisis in 2020.

The City Hall Christmas tree has already arrived and was planted near the Chestnut Street entrance. There is more long-term home for this year's tree after last year's visitor toppled in a violent storm and took out the city's World Ward II memorial.

The memorial, which was damaged beyond repair, was replaced in May.

Mayor Ted Bettencourt said this year's Colorado Blue Spruce was planted with the hopes roots will take and it will become a permanent fixture at City Hall.

The new tree will light up for the first time on Nov. 27 during a ceremony that follows the Holiday Stroll on Small Business Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.

There will be a photo booth and music at Courthouse Plaza, storytime with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Peabody Institute Library from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., an open house at the Peabody Fire Station at 2 p.m., a holiday wreath sale from Boy Scout Troop #59 at Sports Collectibles Plaza, and the tree lighting with Santa Claus, Mayor Bettencourt, and the Peabody Public Schools Choir with hot chocolate and donuts.

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(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.)