Holiday Tree Lighting and Illuminated Holiday Parade

The City of Portsmouth NH’s 2024 Holiday Tree Lighting and Illuminated Holiday Parade will be held on Saturday, December 7, 2024 starting at 5 pm. Portsmouth’s Tree Lighting ceremony takes place on the first Saturday in December each year from 5 to 5:30 pm, followed by the annual Illuminated Holiday Parade. Back by popular demand the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth will host the "Shop and Stroll" event immediately following the parade, with Market Square and surrounding side streets kept closed to vehicular traffic until 9 pm to allow for wider pedestrian access to shops and restaurants.

The City’s Department of Public Works installed the 30-foot tall white fir tree in Market Square on Thursday, November 14th and will continue to decorate the tree with 16 strings (560 feet) of lights and 150 ornaments. Town Fair Tire in Newington donated this year’s holiday tree. Crews from DPW will decorate the lamp posts downtown with 152 wreaths and strings of lights.

"Let It Glow" is the theme of this year’s Illuminated Holiday Parade. The parade route begins at Goodwin Park on Islington Street at 6 pm and proceeds downtown via Congress Street, continuing through Market Square to Pleasant Street, and crossing State Street before concluding on Junkins Avenue. Spectators are reminded that due to ongoing renovations at the North Church, the sidewalk in front of the church in Market Square will be obstructed.