Santa Claus and Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton united to light the city’s Christmas tree and officially begin the holiday season at the Holiday Lighting Festival.

The event, held by Luminate Lexington and Kentucky Utilities, featured face painting, ice skating and hot chocolate at Triangle Park on Sunday, Nov. 30. A tree and menorah lighting and choir performance followed in the evening.

Laura Farnsworth, the event organizer and director of development and events for the Downtown Lexington Partnership, said this year’s holiday lighting is her 18th year working the event.

Farnsworth said the event represents Lexington’s diverse population and welcomes all to gather downtown to celebrate their respective holidays and participate in winter events.

“Lexington is such a welcoming and warm, friendly community,” Farnsworth said. “Any opportunity that the citizens have to get together and teach each other, celebrate traditions really makes a special environment, something Lexington is kind of all about.”

Mindy Haas, the executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass, was invited to light the menorah. She said she hoped the event would shine a positive light on the Jewish faith after seeing a recent rise in antisemitism online.

“This is all about being positive. Being able to stand alongside our mayor and just to show unity,” Haas said. “There’s so many people in this community that celebrate all different holidays that are not even represented out here.”

Haas said the Jewish Federation has been invited to the Holiday Lighting Festival for a few years, and she feels honored they are continuously invited back.

“Each time we come back, we try to do a little something extra for the community, whether we decorate … or we get a little more time on the stage,” Haas said.

Attendees celebrated around the Christmas tree to kick off the holiday season, including Audri Wells and her friends, who came to the festival for the first time downtown. 

“I was talking to my friends, and she said that the tree reminds her of her childhood,” Wells said. “It reminds us of being young again, and especially all the different colored lights, it looks fantastic.”