It's back, bigger and better than ever.

By all accounts, Palmerton's second annual Christmas in the Park figures to dazzle spectators with its glitzy splendor.Sponsored by the Palmerton Holiday Lighting Committee, the widely popular event will be held from noon until 5:30 p.m. Saturday in the borough park.It will feature food and craft vendors; horse drawn wagon rides from 1-4 p.m., pictures with Olaf from 1:30-3:30 p.m., and of course, an appearance from Santa.Sponsored by the Aquashicola and Palmerton fire departments, as well as the Palmerton Pool Pals, Santa will be in the bandstand from 1-3 p.m. Parents should bring their cameras.Children who visit Santa will receive a goody bag, and be entered into a drawing for a chance at a 2015 membership to the Palmerton Memorial Pool, a Toys R Us gift card, or one of four bikes donated by George's Plumbing & Heating of Palmerton.There will also be live music performed by various groups such as S.S. Palmer Children's Chorus; Christian Action Council of Palmerton Area Churches' Community Christmas Caroling; Holiday Homecoming Chorus; Strolling Bass Quintet; and the Resurrection Ringers and Jr. Chimers from Holy Trinity Lutheran Church of Palmerton.Not to be missed are the lights around the park, as well as the new lights along Delaware Avenue, which will be on.Perhaps the most highly anticipated moment will be the actual lighting of the trees, which will take place at 4:30 p.m.At that time, about 70 decorated trees will be lit in the park, according to Christmas in the Park Committee Chairwoman Michele O' Neill."Saturday is a small town family fun event for people to come out and enjoy the day with the family, do some Christmas shopping, and enjoy the holiday as it should be," O'Neill said."Come out and celebrate that this is what the community has done for our town."O'Neill added that the community has once again banded together to make the event possible."We've had a tremendous response from the community in wanting to adopt Christmas trees; more than we had available," she said. "Not one dime of taxpayer money has gone into this, it's all been the community."All trees are to be undecorated from Jan. 7-9. The committee will dispose of the tree and the tree stand.The event debuted last year and featured 48 decorated trees from members of the community, which lined the walkways of the park that were lit and decorated by the sponsor.As a special tribute, Oliver Solt, 100, of Bowmanstown, and Marguerite Shupp Haydt, 97, of Palmerton, gave the directive to "light up the night."With the flick of a switch, each of the beautifully decorated trees then lit up.