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Amherst, Merry Maple
December 6, 2024 @ 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm EST
The Annual Lighting of the Merry Maple on the Amherst Town Commons. FREE event – OPEN to all!
The tree illumination is only one part of the merriest downtown Amherst events on Fri. 12/6. Join us for the festivities from 3-6PM and then after, enjoy all that downtown has to offer! Shop, eat, and experience the heart of Amherst freshly decorated as a winter wonderland!
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES:
- 3-6 PM – Fire Station Open House
- 3-6PM – Crafts and activities with Amherst Recreation
- 4 PM on – Horse-drawn carriage rides with Muddy Brook Farm (pauses during Marching Band Performance)
- 4:30 PM – ARMS Chorus performance
- 5:00 PM – Tree lighting countdown
- 5:30-6 PM – UMass Minuteman Marching Band performance
- 5:30PM – Santa and Flakey the Snowfriend expected arrival via Firetruck
A new maple on the renovated North Common will be lit this year. Several adjacent trees and bushes will also be illuminated.
Amherst Recreation will have a variety of glow in the dark games including horseshoes, ring toss, hula hoops and lawn darts as well as their KultureCity Sensory Friendly Tent with headphones, fidget toys and sensory seating. Their craft will be Make Your Own Flakey the Snowfriend. All of this will take place at stations on and around the North Common.
The 50-plus-year-old tradition of lighting a living tree in the North Common was first documented in print in the Amherst Record in 1966. Prior to that a Christmas tree was brought in to be decorated and lit.
Holiday Shopping Extravaganza
Special offerings and discounts throughout downtown stores with retailers offering up to 20% off select items!
Every day is a good day to shop Amherst’s central business district, but Friday, December 6 & Saturday, December 7 are GREAT days to get your holiday shopping done at our variety of boutique and unique retailers.
Whether you call it “Card Day,” “Pack-the-Sack,” or “Merry Days” this kick-off to the holiday season has special offerings and discounts throughout downtown stores with retailers offering up to 20% off select items!
And don’t miss special offers on GIFT CARDS to your favorite restaurants and salons up to 20% as well!
In keeping with the holiday spirit, the Town of Amherst has suspended parking enforcement in all metered spaces and public lots continues in Downtown Amherst on the following Saturdays:
- December 7, 2024 – Holiday Shopping Extravaganza (Card Days/Merry Days)
- December 14, 2024
- December 21, 2024
- December 28, 2024