This weekend is a busy one in Historic Yorktown, with a full itinerary of holiday events and activities.

The weekend kicks off with Yorktown’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday at York Hall and Riverwalk Landing. The York Hall festivities begin at 6:30 p.m., with the tree lighting at 7:30.

This community tradition goes all the way back to 1945. That’s the year the Rev. Claud G. Barkley, Pastor of Yorktown Baptist Church, and staff from the County Clerk’s office decorated a cedar tree that stood at the corner of Main and Ballard streets. The tree that is used today is a 20-foot artificial “Giant Everest Fir” placed at Riverwalk Landing.

This year, everyone is invited to gather at York Hall by 6:30 for live music from local elementary school students, as well as a performance by the Fifes and Drums of York Town. From there, the procession will make its way to Riverwalk Landing, where the tree-lighting ceremony will begin.

Parents and grandparents are encouraged to stay...