Lighting up Downtown Hartsville
Hundreds gathered in Centennial Park, located at the corner of West Carolina Avenue and 5th Street, for the annual Hartsville Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. Guests enjoyed hot chocolate, cotton candy, sang Christmas carols along with the Hartsville High School Choir, and bowed their heads for a word of prayer with Father Dan Papineau of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
Presiding over the ceremony, Mayor Mel Pennington praised the efforts of city workers who labor each year to make the park – and the tree – shine so brightly.
“None of this would have happened without a very dedicated team of city personnel and staff,” said Pennington, prompting a round of applause.
As Pennington concluded his remarks, he passed the baton to Mayor Pro Tem Johnny Andrews, who, along with kids Ethan, Jackson, and Lily, officially lit the beautifully decorated tree for the 2017 holidays.
After the tree lighting, kids lined up by the dozen to take a quick, chilly ride down the Snow Slide, capping off a fun evening and a great kickoff to the Christmas season. View our gallery of the celebration here: https://newsandpress.smugmug.com/Hartsville-Christmas-Tree-Lighting-2017/
