Mayor Bill Haslam will lead the countdown before lighting up the city Friday, Nov. 24, at the City of Knoxville's Celebration of Lights on Market Square.

The event set for 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., features music, food, arts and crafts and the opening of the Knoxville Holidays on Ice outdoor skating rink among many other fun things on the square. The highlight of the night will be the traditional lighting of the 38-foot-high Christmas tree. Those lights will join the more than 100,000 tiny white lights illuminating nearby Krutch Park and an additional 200,000 white lights adorning buildings across the city. Business and organizations will also turn on the more than 500 light trees atop buildings in the downtown area and along the Tennessee River as part of the Up on the Rooftops decorations. "This is a great celebration that we look forward to every year," Haslam said. "Downtown is everyone's neighborhood and we hope to see you here on Friday."

Activities at the Celebration of Lights will include free events like:

- Photos with Santa
- Horse-drawn carriage rides
- Marshmallow roasting
- Cookie decorating at Mrs. Claus' Gingerbread House
- Ice cream and eggnog at the Mayfield's Booth
- Ornament making for the Knoxville Area Rescue Ministries' "Remember the Children Tree."

In addition local artisans and crafters will be offering their creations at a "Christmas Market" during the celebration and also on Saturday, Nov. 25, from noon until 8 p.m.And for the second straight year, Knoxville's Holidays on Ice will be offering ice-skating on its outdoor rink in the square. Joining Mayor Haslam and Santa Claus on the stage will be Hallerin Hill and Bo Williams from WATE Channel 6, and the Encore! Singers.

The Celebration of Lights is presented by the Central Business Improvement District and sponsored by the First Tennessee Foundation, Mayfield, Allen Sign Company, WATE Channel 6, Comcast Cable Communications, The Knoxville News Sentinel and WIVK.