Wakefield Event 01: Light Switch On
For half a century now, Wakefield has dedicated the 18th of December to their annual Light Switch On; a nighttime event where the town illuminates its primary commercial street with the soft glow of more than 4,500 hand-lit candles, countless sparkling lights, and elaborate Christmas and Hanukkah decorations in the shape of bells, wreaths, and stars that are festooned atop the fairytale lampposts and green-leafed trees. From 4 PM to 10 PM, the use of cars is banned in this section of town, and citizens are encouraged to walk down the full length of Main Street, where local vendors sell everything from cider and hot chocolate to jelly-filled sufganiyot and freshly popped kettle corn.
At 10 PM, every participating citizen is handed a clear mason jar filled with a string of white and blue twinkle lights, which they then bring to Wakefield Park for the big reveal—the lighting of the largest angel oak in town, which has served as Wakefield's community Christmas tree for generations. After the angel oak is lit, citizens are encouraged to hang their mason jars on the low-hanging branches of the other trees in Wakefield Park, while the town's very own Volunteer Holiday Choir sings Christmas carols and Hanukkah songs.
The night finally comes to a close with a formal thank you speech given by the mayor, who wishes everyone a happy and safe holiday, and declares that cars will be allowed to drive down Main Street by 6 AM.
Admin Note: When creating starters for this event, please use the tag wakefieldevent01. While the celebration doesn't start in-character until the 18th (Friday), we wanted to post it early enough to give everyone time to plan and plot what they'd like for their characters, and even start posting as they see fit. Posting for the event will last until January 01, 2021.