The first Christmas tree lighting ceremony of the season will take place Wednesday at Spanish Springs Town Square.
There will be plenty of entertainment beginning at 4 p.m. and right up to the moment that the tree-lighting switch is thrown at 7 p.m. The event will feature emcee Billie Thatcher.
Immediately afterward, the Villages Twirlers Show Team & Drums Corps will offer a holiday performance.
The schedule includes:
4 to 4:45 p.m. The Villages Dixie Land Band
4:45 to 5 p.m. The Original Villages Belly Dancers
5 to 5:45 p.m. Blue Stone Circle
5:45 to 6 p.m. The Villages Cheerleaders
6 to 6:40 p.m. Blue Stone Circle
6:40 6:55 p.m. Aloha ‘O Ka Hula Dance Troupe
7 to 7:15 p.m. Tree Lighting Ceremony
You can also meet Santa and Mrs. Claus from 5 to 8 p.m.
There will also be a holiday drive benefiting the Lake Sumter Children’s Advocacy Center. Donations can include paper products (boxes of tissues, paper towels, baby wipes, antibacterial wipes, tall garbage bags); art supplies (markers, sketch pads, colored paper, craft supplies such as beads and pipe cleaners, construction paper, water colors, clay, crayons, scissors); and gift cards.
The second tree-lighting ceremony will be Friday at Lake Sumter Landing. The third will be Dec. 4 at Brownwood.