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Tree-lighting ceremonies and visits with Saint Nicholas are all part of the celebration, with both communities welcoming the holiday season in their own unique fashions.

On Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. the Shelby Township Municipal Grounds will be transformed for the season at “Shelby Township Aglow.” The event is a revamp of previous tree-lighting ceremonies and will take place entirely on the township’s municipal grounds and in the historic Andrews Schoolhouse and Hope Chapel; previous events had featured festivities inside the municipal building.

Joe Youngblood, assistant Parks and Recreation director, said the plan is to keep the event outdoors and celebrate the township’s small town, historical heritage.

“We’re going to keep everything out here at the band shell, pavilion and the school house,” he said. “We’re keeping everything in the same area so people don’t have to head inside.”

The Eisenhower High School choir will kick the evening off with carols while Santa Claus arrives to throw the lights on the township’s Christmas decorations. Kids will be able to enjoy activities at the Craft Castle and then visit with Kris Kringle in the Andrews Schoolhouse.

New to the festivities this year will be an open bonfire and a Christmas Tree Auction in the Hope Chapel, sponsored by the United Service Groups of Shelby Township. Families can still enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride around the grounds, where they can take in the lights and decorations.

“We’ve had a lot of excitement about this over the years,” Youngblood said. “It’s just a wonderful event and it gets bigger every year.”

Shelby Township will continue to celebrate the holidays on Dec. 6 with the annual Breakfast with Santa at the Shelby Township Community Center. Breakfast will be served at 9:30 and 11 a.m. but registration is required. Dinner and Dancing with Santa at the Cherry Creek Banquet Center, a perennial holiday favorite, is already sold out.

“The turnout for these events is just amazing,” Youngblood said. “I think when you offer some of the events we have, word of mouth seems to spread. We’ve been getting the word out and it’s just been phenomenal.”

On Dec. 7, Santa Claus will make a return trip from the North Pole to neighboring Utica. At 6 p.m. in back of Utica City Hall, the Utica High School Chieftain Marching Band will lead carolers in song while awaiting the arrival of Santa by fire truck. Santa will then help Mayor Jacqueline Noonan throw the lights on the city’s buildings.

Last year’s festivities were dampened by wet wintry weather, but Noonan said she’s hoping for the weather to cooperate this year.

“It was very intimate last year, to say the least,” said Noonan, referring to the small gathering in the lobby of City Hall. “But this year I think we’ll see more families come back. It’s really a wonderful tradition.”

Shelby Township Aglow will be held on Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Shelby Township Municipal Grounds. Utica’s Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held on Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. in back of Utica City Hall. For information on Breakfast with Santa, contact the Shelby Township Parks and Recreation Department at 731-0300.