SOUDERTON — With the wave of a wand, little Madison Sholly lit Souderton’s Christmas tree to loud applause and cheers.
“It’s magic,” said Souderton Mayor Don Yocum.
Dozens of residents braved the rain to attend the borough’s annual tree lighting ceremony Friday evening, featuring a towering new artificial tree adorned with colorful tights and twinkling ornaments.
“This beautiful new tree is gonna last us for years,” said Jessica Cimini, Souderton Connects manager.
“The tree last year was literally from my backyard, so this is much better,” added Yocum.
Sponsored by Univest, the ceremony was held in the new Univest courtyard, the precise location of the inaugural Souderton tree lighting 100 years ago.
“This is really exciting,” said Univest CEO Jeff Schweitzer. “We started in Souderton 147 years ago, and we’re still proud to call Souderton our home. We’re excited to have purchased this tree and donated it to Souderton Connects so it can be enjoyed for many years and be a part of tradition to kick off the holiday festivities.”
As the tree lighting got underway, Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived on a firetruck to great fanfare, with children racing over to get a glimpse of the couple before lining up for pictures.
Rounding out the event was Christmas music, Christmas-flavored ice cream from Downtown Scoop and hot chocolate from Good Will Canteen.
