For Immediate Release: 11/27/2018 2:59 pm
The City of Worcester announced today that on the heels of the Boston Red Sox 2018 Championship, all four World Series trophies (2004, 2007, 2013, 2018) will make a special appearance on the Worcester Common this Friday as part of the City’s annual Festival of Lights Tree Lighting and Holiday Celebration.
“Never more than this year are we reminded that Worcester is both the heart of the Commonwealth as well as the heart of Red Sox Nation,” said City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. “We’re excited that everyone will get to celebrate the holiday season like champions with the four World Series trophies.”
“The Festival of Lights is one of Worcester’s signature events and a terrific kick off to the holiday season,” said Mayor Joseph M. Petty. “Every year this event gets bigger and with the addition of all four Red Sox World Series trophies I know this year will be even better. This is a great way to cap off a great year for the City of Worcester.”
Schedule of Events:
The City will once again host the Food Truck Rodeo with 10 food trucks stationed on Front Street, organized by the Oval’s resident food truck, The Dogfather. Other activities and programming for the evening include Horse Drawn Carriage Rides and trips around the Worcester Common with WooRides, a Frozen Baseball Glove Photo Booth and Sasha the Fire Gypsy.
The Worcester PopUp, 20 Franklin Street, will serve as a warming center with family-friendly activities with the Creative Hub, Main Idea and ArtReach.
New to Festival of Lights this year is a heated Beer Tent by Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company and Atlas Distributing as well as the original Fire Caldrons as seen in the 2016 release of Ghostbusters courtesy of Westerman’s Movie Prop Warehouse in Worcester.
The evening will be hosted by 104.5 XLO’s dynamic morning duo, Jen and Frank.
A recent graduate of Harvard University, Brynn Elliott, will headline Festival of Lights following her debut EP, “Time of Our Lives,” which she created with producer Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift). Elliott has played with artists like Alanis Morissette, Brandi Carlile and Allen Stone and more recently performed on Live with Kelly and Ryan and the Today Show. Her hit single “Might Not Like Me” is rising on the Billboard charts and can be heard on 104.5 XLO and radio stations around the country.
With thousands expected to attend, it is strongly recommended to arrive early. There is plenty of affordable parking available within walking distance of the Worcester Common Oval, including the Worcester Common Garage at 2 Eaton Place, Mercantile Center Parking Garage, Federal Plaza Parking Garage and the Pearl-Elm Parking Garage.
Roads around the Worcester Common will be closed beginning at 2 p.m. and include both Front and Franklin Street.
The City of Worcester would like to recognize the generous sponsors and community partners that make this event possible: The Hanover Insurance Group, Worcester Red Sox, Worcester Business Development Corporation, MCPHS University, Commerce Bank, Mercantile Center, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, College of the Holy Cross, Baystate Savings Bank, Fidelity Bank, The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, DCU- Digital Federal Credit Union, SMG, 104.5 WXLO, The Dogfather, Worcester Cultural Coalition and Discover Central Massachusetts.
