Lehighton’s sixth annual Christmas trees in the Park event will return to an in-person format.

The Lehighton Parks & Recreation Board will host the ceremony at 6 p.m. Sunday. Trees will line the walkways of both the Upper and Lower Parks, as well as along Constitution Avenue.

The Pale Moon Players will perform for the lighting ceremony, as well as throughout the parks afterward. Several food trucks will also be on hand throughout the event.

Autumn Abelovsky, of the Parks & Recreation Board, said 176 trees will line the walkways of both the Upper and Lower parks, as well as along Constitution Avenue.

That, she said, marks the most in the event’s history. Of those, 150 trees have been adopted, and 17 sponsored, while there are eight wreaths around the fountain, and one grand tree in the center of the amphitheater.

“The trees are in high demand,” Abelovsky said. “I could probably fill every inch of the parks with decorated trees, but with a board of just four volunteers, we know we must keep it within our limit.”

Abelovsky said that this year, their Sponsor Row has expanded.

“We had such an outpouring of offers to sponsor the 2021 year that we have now deemed the top row of both the Lower and the Upper Parks ‘Sponsor Rows,’?” she said. “We truly are grateful for those who are participating as sponsors this year.”

Abelovsky also offered kudos to several others as well.

“NextEra Energy, the borough’s power provider, donated funds to purchase brand-new decorations and lights for the big tree that Santa is sending to the park,” she said. “And it wouldn’t be a tree event without giving credit and a gigantic thank you to Crystal Spring Tree Farm for finding a way to provide us with all the trees that are being adopted.”

Abelovsky said they’ve kept with their policy of offering the trees to those who adopted one the previous year, and once their grace period is over, they open up adoptions on a first-come-first-serve basis.

“It is so fun to get to make that phone call to someone new letting them know they got a tree this year,” she said. “They are always so excited to be able to be a part of the event.”

Abelovsky noted that many of the trees are decorated by returning participants year after year, some of whom use the same decorations each year as they are sentimental to perhaps a lost loved one.

“Others spend an entire year planning a different theme,” she said. “It’s so exciting to see how much imagination and love go into each and every tree.”

Abelovsky said the Christmas in the Park event not only brings the community together, but all the departments of the borough, who come together as well.

“From the office staff who handle extra phone calls and mailings, to the treasurer who assist with donations, to of course the Public Works and Light & Power Departments who help in laying out the parks, wiring the electric, standing the trees, and the many other small details that make this spectacular event run smoothly,” she said. “And of course, we can’t forget the Lehighton Fire Department, who have assisted in decorating the big tree every year, and the Lehighton Police Department, who patrol the parks with extra care throughout the event.”

In addition, Abelovsky said special thanks goes out to the students from Behavioral Health Associates, who have become an integral key in the tree delivery, and whose volunteerism is much appreciated.

Last year’s live virtual tour of each tree/wreath was a great success, as the video was viewed throughout the season over 4,000 times.

This year’s Facebook Live Tree Tour will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 11, where people can tune in to the Facebook page Lehighton Borough Parks and Recreation Board and interact with other viewers as they look at all the trees and wreaths. They will again continue the tradition started last year and ask trivia questions throughout the live­stream for chances to win prizes.

The trees will remain in the parks through the second week of January.