As temperatures drop and winter creeps in, tree lighting ceremonies take place throughout Boston, but one of the first and most beloved welcomes the holiday season at Faneuil Hall Marketplace.
On Nov. 21, Quincy Market hosted a tree lighting ceremony from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. with performances, music and speeches. The event featured a 30-foot-tall spruce tree from Stratford, Connecticut, decorated with shiny red and gold ornaments and an abundance of lights. Quincy Market was also decorated to match with pine garlands and lights encircling the pillars and tree trunks encased in lights.
The event has become a beloved tradition for many Bostonians and drew a large crowd by the end of the night.
“It is just something fun to do with friends,” said Casey Dinneen, a Boston local who tries to attend annually. “I’ve always loved the holidays and lights make everything better.”
While the Christmas tree looks magical when lit up, there is more to this Boston tradition than lights. The festivities began with music played by local DJ Angel Alba, free face painting by FaceArt and hot chocolate ice cream floats provided by Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream.
Northeastern University’s premier women’s a capella group “Pitch, Please!” also made an appearance, singing holiday tunes to welcome the Christmas spirit. The performance was followed by two groups from the North End Music & Performing Arts Center: a choral group of local kids and a youth ensemble featuring kids ages 10 to 12.
About an hour before the end of the event, Santa arrived along with Buddy the Elf and Miss Massachusetts to light the decorated Christmas tree. Before this magical moment, Cara Loffredo and Africa Rubio Pastor, co-founders of Boston Women’s Market, shared that the market will be open on weekends on the second floor of Quincy Market from Dec. 1 through Dec. 23, featuring over 40 women-owned businesses from across New England — the perfect way to bring more traffic to Quincy Market, a place loved by both Boston locals and permanent vendors, according Kim Vy, the mc for the event.
Other important community members also spoke at the event, sharing their feelings about the marketplace and explaining why people should shop there.
“Quincy Market is a wonderful market to shop and spend time with family and friends,” said Ed Flynn, the city council president while addressing the crowd.
Despite being a popular tourist destination, many vendors still want locals to come shop at the market as Faneuil Hall is a long-standing Boston hub.
“I enjoy talking to all the tourists that come visit but I [what] love even more [is] meeting local Bostonians who come out to the marketplace,” said Jason Sweeney, the owner of Ben & Jerry’s in Quincy Market.
The tree lighting ceremony is the perfect tradition to bring more locals to the marketplace.
“I’m so grateful to all the performers and everyone who came out tonight,” said Jenna Morris, one of the event coordinators. “There is so much to celebrate this year at Faneuil Hall!”
