Worcester Festival of Lights 2021: Santa, Food, Beer, Skating

WORCESTER, MA — Worcester's big annual "Festival of Lights" celebration returns on Friday after last year's pandemic hiatus, and there's a lot going on.

Worcester police are expecting thousands of people to attend the festival, which kicks off at 6 p.m. Beginning near 2 p.m. Friday, police will begin closing streets including parts of Front, Franklin and Church streets and Main Street in front of City Hall.

Here's what will happen during the festival:

• The city will debut a winter light installation around the common, which will be in place until Feb. 28
• The light installation will include a holiday tree, and seven light sculptures
• A candle will be lit on a menorah celebrating the sixth (out of eight) night of Hanukkah
• Santa Claus will be making an appearance
• There will be a beer tent and food vendors around the common
• Other activities for kids include carriage rides, balloon animal and face painting
• There will be musical performances by the Abby Kelly Foster Chorus, the Burncoat High School Quadrivium Chorus, South High School Chorus and AMPP Youth. Los Cantores De La Montaña will headline the event after the lighting ceremony
• A dance performance curated by Cirque De Light will feature fire and LED lights
• COVID-19 vaccines will be available for anyone over age 5
• The Worcester Common Oval ice rink (which opened for the season on Nov. 26) will be open for skating.

Everything takes place behind City Hall. Visitors can park within walking distance at the Worcester Common Garage, 2 Eaton Place, the Mercantile Center Parking Garage, 100 Front St., the Federal Plaza Parking Garage, 570 Main St., and the Pearl-Elm Parking Garage, 24 Pearl St.

Worcester Regional Transit Authority buses are also FREE at the moment and can carry visitors from towns around Worcester to the main transit hub downtown — just a few minutes walk from City Hall.