Newberry Street offered an extra-large helping of holiday cheer Friday evening, with Aiken's downtown tree-lighting ceremony drawing thousands of visitors, including appearances by several top figures in local government and dozens of volunteers to bring the whole gathering together.
A visit from Santa also was part of the picture (and hundreds of photos). At the center of the gathering was a metal tree with highly animated lights, activated by a group of kids under the leadership of Mayor Rick Osbon, with a vocal soundtrack provided by USC Aiken's concert choir and a group of students from East Aiken School of the Arts.
Activation of the tree in the festival area came to the tune of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," as recorded in 1958 by Brenda Lee, one of the more prominent singers in the Aiken-Augusta area's history.
"We're so fortunate to have this program in our city," Osbon said, expressing thanks for boosters such as the local Salvation Army, the local NAACP Youth Council, the South Aiken High School Key Club and Aiken's pageant queens from within the Little Miss South Carolina system.
Also backing the effort were the primary sponsor, Cedar Creek Church, and much of the evening's snacking came by way of South Aiken High School's softball team, which operated a s'mores station.
Aiken City Council members were part of the gathering as well, and the Santa visit included brief remarks to the crowd by the bearded, red-suited elf. "Isn't this glorious? This is what we love about Aiken. What a wonderful place to live," he said. He took a seat on the stage for quick visits – and pictures galore – with dozens of local kids.
Fourth Generation, an Aiken-based gospel group composed of members of the Allen family, was also part of the evening, performing in The Alley after the tree-lighting. "A nice Hallmark greeting" was the result, in the words of Jackie Allen, the matriarch of the musicians.
Capt. Randull Tiller, with the Salvation Army, gave a thumbs-up review. "I think every year it seems like it gets a little bit better. It's always extremely diverse. They always have something new and different," he said, citing the example of the evening's musical entertainment.