Help Santa Light Tree at Town Hall

It's time to light the tree in front of Town Hall for the holiday season.

But that's not all. A variety of activities are planned for Barrington's annual tree-lighting festivities on the Town Hall lawn on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 3.

Santa Claus will help to light the tree around 6 pm. The lighting will be accompanied by a performance of a “holiday chorus” made up of the Barrington High School Ensemble and the Barrington Middle School A Cappella Chorus.

Festivities start around 2 pm with craft-making and gingerbread-cookie frosting in the Senior Center in the lower level of the library adjacent to Town Hall. You can also get your picture taken with Santa Claus until 4 pm.

Train rides will whisk attendees and shoppers around town from 2:30 to 4:30 pm for $1 a trip.

You can drink hot chocolate and munch on cookies provided by and in Barrington.

Right next door to the Senior Center, the Barrington Preservation Society Museum will host a “family day” from 3 to 5 pm.

Children and parents can take part in “a treasure hunt using a specially designed booklet with clues directing them to specific objects,” said Carole Villucci, museum director. “When children find each object, they receive stickers placed next to the illustrated clue on each page.”

The "Historical Quest" guide was created by Emily Deslauriers for her Girl Scout Silver Key award, said Villucci.

After the treasure hunt, everyone can join an arts and crafts workshop in the Senior Center before heading over to the front entrance of Town Hall for the tree lighting.

The tree-lighting ceremony also will include the drawing of a name from among thousands of coupons dropped off at Barrington merchants in the “” holiday promotion sponsored by the .

Tree-lighting festivities are being coordinated again this year by the Barrington Recreation Department.