Chamber readies to usher in Christmas season with annual tree lighting

Published 4:45 pm Monday, November 6, 2017

Next week downtown Elizabethton will begin to look a lot like Christmas as the Fraser Fir lights up for the holiday season.

The Elizabethton/Carter County Chamber of Commerce will host the 29th annual lighting of the Community Christmas Tree.

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This year’s tree lighting will take place on Tuesday, November 14, at the Fraser Fir located in front of the historic Folsom House on East Elk Avenue. Festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the tree lighting taking place around 6 p.m.

This year’s honorary lighters will be representatives from the Elizabethton Carter County Public Library. Chamber Director Tonya Stevens said the Chamber decided to honor the library and its staff because of all the work they do to educate, support, and serve local residents.

“They are doing so much all year round, everything from children’s programs to helping the homeless,” Stevens said. “They are always there as a resource for a broad spectrum of our community. They touch so many lives.”

“The public library is such an asset to our community,” she added. “There are many programs they facilitate every day to help the youngest to the oldest in Elizabethton and Carter County.”

The event will also feature a variety of festivities and entertainment to help usher in the Christmas season.

The Elizabethton High School Chorale under the direction of Debbie Gouge will perform for the event. Miss Carter County 2018 Peyton Wilson will also perform alongside the EHS Chorale.

Members of the Washington County Militia, the host living history group for Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park, will also be on hand for the event as will members of the Carter County 4-H program, Stevens said.

The Kiwanis Club will be on hand selling Carter County themed Christmas ornaments which include landmarks such as the Fraser Fir and the Covered Bridge, according to Stevens.

The event is free and open to the public. Stevens said the Chamber would like to invite everyone to come out and join them as they kick off the holiday season for Carter County.