This past weekend Belfast kicked- off the holiday season with the Annual Early Bird Sale, Christmas Tree Lighting on Saturday and the Menorah lighting on Sunday.

None of these events would be possible without many hands working together. This year was no exception! Thank you to everyone who makes these events happen with special thanks to the following:

• Anne Sagesse - Sweet Henry’s - who each year provides wonderful catered traditional snacks and hot beverages for the Menorah lighting ceremony
• Bangor Savings Bank - There support allows us to host free community events like the Christmas Tree lighting.
• Belfast Coop - Providing Hot Chocolate for the hundreds of community members who came out to Saturday’s tree lighting.
• Belfast High School Choir - For providing the soundtrack for the Christmas Tree Lighting with Christmas Carols
• Belfast Fire Department - The classic lights and full sized pole ornaments on High Street and maintained and installed each year by the Belfast Fire Department. Chief Jim Richards also provided Santa Clause a ride into town.
• Belfast Parks and Recreation & Norm Poirier - For their partnership around all the pieces that go into the Menorah lighting and Tree lighting.
• Belfast Police Department - Their assistance with traffic control during the set-up of the tree and for ensuring the safety of the crowd at the Menorah and Tree Lighting.
• Belfast Public Works - Setup of the tree base
• Belfast Transfer Station -Assistance with the storage of the steel rings that each wreath is built on.
• Belmont Boatworks - Dan and Henry Miller - This year’s Christmas tree was removed and transported by the able crane and rigging team of Dan and Henry Miller
• City Councilor Mike Hurley - his tireless dedicated to finding the perfect tree and ensuring the proper mix of lights get on the tree
• City Councilor Neal Harkness - For his ongoing support and words of the annual Menorah lighting.
• Central Maine Power - Provided two crews to install lights on this year’s tree.
• Coastal Sun Services - The perfectionist crew at Coastal Sun Services installs and lights each of the almost 4’ in diameter wreaths throughout Downtown Belfast. With special thanks to over 40 individuals and organizations who sponsored a wreath!
• Ellen Sander - For her vision to create the first public Menorah lighting in Midcoast Maine and her spirit and energy to keep it going.
• Evergreen Farms in Searsmont - The construction of 60+ beautiful wreaths all over downtown Belfast.
• Jimmy Sutherland (now living in Florida) - Each year in late fall the search for the perfect tree is underway, this year, Jimmy pointed us to a tree he had transplanted to his land from Green’s Island 27 years ago to along Poors Mill Road.
• Key Bank - For providing space for hundreds of children (and adults) to see and speak with Santa.
• Lila Nation and Jeff Weinberger - Provided wonderful live music in the pouring rain to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah.
• Mayor Samantha Paradis - helped Santa light the tree delighting a crowd of hundreds of children of all ages from 1 to 99 and returned in the pouring rain Sunday night to light the Menorah.
• Moonbat Bakery - The crew at Moonbat Bakery prepared over 200 cookies
• Our Town Belfast Volunteers - From assisting with hand tying 100+ bows that adorn wreaths all over downtown Belfast, setting up  and cleaning up for each of these events, to baking cookies.

There are so many more Holiday events happening in Belfast between now and New Year’s, please check-out them out and make a visit to Belfast this Holiday Season!

https://ourtownbelfast.org/holidaysinbelfast2018/

Zach Schmesser is executive director of Our Town Belfast