Ballston Singing Tree Lighting Kicks Off Display In Welburn Square

ARLINGTON, VA — The Ballston BID, in partnership with Mastercard, is introducing a new way to light up the holidays this season: a Singing Tree, which will be on display in Welburn Square through the end of the month.

Free and open to the public, the Singing Tree Lighting Celebration will be held Wednesday, Dec. 14, from 5 to 7 p.m. The festivities will feature a performance by the Arlington Children's Chorus and local musicians Kara & Matty D, according to a news release.

The Singing Tree, which will be on display in Welburn Square throughout the month, is a voice activation tree that comes alive as harmonies and melodies reach its branches.

The event supports the Arlington Children's Chorus, and guests may enjoy food from We the Pizza, a Jingle Bar for guests aged 21 and over and a free children’s hot cocoa bar.

“We are so grateful to our partner and fantastic neighborhood steward, Mastercard, for their generosity and for helping us celebrate this wonderful time of the year,” said Tina Leone, CEO of the Ballston BID, in a news release. “Supporting local Arlington organizations and Ballston businesses is the most special way to give back, and we encourage folks to come down to the tree lighting, enjoy some Christmas carols, try their hand at activating the tree, and enjoy all Ballston has to offer!”

The Ballston Singing Tree is an artistic, interactive, sound-responsive lighting system on the central tree in Welburn Square. Custom-crafted for Ballston by Canadian software developer, Limbic Media, the system features 1,200 lights on 12 strands draped across the tree. Microphones capture audio input from the environment around the system, which interprets that data into colors and patterns to display throughout the tree.

Organizers said Ballston’s Singing Tree will become an annual program and will run from mid-December through the new year.

For more information, visit Ballston’s website at www.ballstonva.org/singingtree.

To stay up to date with all of the Ballston area events, follow on Instagram @BallstonBID and Facebook @BallstonVA. Attendees are encouraged to share photos of the event on social media using #Ballston and #SingingTree.

The Ballston Business Improvement District includes upscale hotels, retail, green space, 60 restaurants and the home of the Washington Capitals — all accessible by metro and major thoroughfares. For more information, visit www.ballstonbid.com.