Orem is gearing up to flip the switch on the holiday season with its annual Lights On Holiday Celebration, set for Monday, Nov. 30, from 5 to 8 p.m. at City Center Park. The event plans include a holiday market, student performances, live reindeer viewing, a tree lighting and a smaller drone show.
The holiday market will give shoppers a chance to browse local vendors. Stage entertainment, the official Lights On program and main-stage performances are also part of the evening.
Santa, Reindeer and a Drone Show Over the Arboretum
Live reindeer viewing is among the planned activities.
A smaller drone show is also planned.
City Center Park’s arboretum gives the tree-lighting setting a history of its own. Orem bought the 37-acre property from the Stratton family for a City Hall and park, and the City Council approved creating the arboretum, with the first plantings beginning in 1982. It now contains about 200 trees representing 72 species, with origins ranging from China and Japan to Austria and Morocco, the city’s arboretum history says.
Trees Light Up as Program Builds to Evening's End
The celebration includes lighting the trees at City Center Park.
A separate account from Citizen Portal describes Lights On event plans discussed by Orem's Historical Preservation Advisory Commission for the 2026 event — including a holiday market, student performances, live reindeer viewing, a tree lighting and a smaller drone show. That account also notes that staff and commissioners discussed heaters, parking and sound upgrades for the event, and is available via Citizen Portal.
A drone show over a public park can involve FAA approvals or waivers, site safety measures such as spectator perimeters, and coordination with local officials and law enforcement.
With the holiday market, stage shows, Santa visits and the drone show all packed into a single three-hour window, Orem residents looking to kick off the season have one night circled on the calendar: Monday, Nov. 30, at City Center Park.
