Bethlehem's annual Christmas tree lighting returns to Payrow Plaza on Friday, Nov. 27, with gates opening at 4 p.m. and a musical prelude starting at 4:30 p.m., and this year's event carries a notable first: the Bach Choir of Bethlehem is set to make its tree-lighting ceremony debut with a special holiday performance.
The Citizens' Christmas City Committee, which organizes the ceremony, announced that the choir will join the celebration, according to Lehigh Valley Press. The tree itself will be lit at the city's annual ceremony Friday, Nov. 27, at Payrow Plaza, as confirmed by lehighdaily.com, which reported the gate and prelude times as well.
This year's tree has its own backstory. A spruce from the grounds of Bethel Memorial Baptist Church at 715 Chestnut Lane in Palmer Township was identified as Bethlehem's city Christmas tree for 2026.
A 128-Year Tradition Meets the Tree Lighting for the First Time
The Bach Choir of Bethlehem's participation brings together two cherished Bethlehem traditions, according to Lehigh Valley Press. The choir has called the city home for 128 years, and its singers are volunteers who live and work in the community. The choir's own history notes it was founded in 1898 and now counts 90 volunteer singers, according to bach.org.
Leela Breithaupt, the choir's executive director, said the group is thrilled to join the tree lighting and share its spirit with neighbors. Tammy Wendling, senior vice president of Bethlehem initiatives for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, said the choir's participation makes the celebration more special and brings generations together, per Lehigh Valley Press.
A Full Lineup of Music and Performances
Beyond the choir's debut, this year's ceremony is set to feature a varied lineup, according to Lehigh Valley Press. The Swingtime Dolls will entertain with harmonies and festive favorites, the Holmes Family Singers will share seasonal inspirational music, and the Freedom High School Marching Band will welcome guests with a musical prelude. Touchstone Theatre will present theatrical storytelling, holiday humor and Christmas magic.
Santa Claus is expected to make a grand entrance escorted by Bethlehem's fire and police departments, helping usher in the holiday season as the city's Christmas tree is lit. Residents and visitors gather annually for Bethlehem's holiday season tree lighting, a tradition that has become a fixture of the city's Christmas City USA identity.
How Last Year's Ceremony Looked
Last year's event offers a sense of the scale Bethlehem typically brings to the occasion. At the 2025 tree lighting, the city flipped the switch on upward of 30,000 lights adorning a 43-foot-high, nearly 6,000-pound spruce, according to lehighvalleypublicmedia.org. Santa arrived that year aboard a Bethlehem Fire ladder truck rather than a traditional sleigh, while the Liberty High School Grenadier Band kept spirits up with peppy holiday classics.
Touchstone Theatre's programming extended well beyond the lighting ceremony itself last year. The company's Christmas City Follies ran from Dec. 4 to 21, 2025, as reported by lehighvalleynews.com.
For now, the details organizers have released point to a ceremony anchored by a historic Bethlehem institution stepping into a new role. With gates opening at 4 p.m. and the prelude kicking off a half hour later, Payrow Plaza is set to once again become the gathering point for the city's holiday season kickoff on Nov. 27.
