Palmerton’s ninth annual Christmas in the Park is set to make its in-person return.

Sponsored by the Palmerton Holiday Lighting Committee, the event will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday in the borough park. The rain date is noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Michele O’Neill, chairwoman of the Christmas in the Park Committee, said the opening ceremony will start with an invocation by the Palmerton United Veterans Organization Color Guard, along with remarks from Mayor William Gallagher.

O’Neill said the S.S. Palmer Elementary School Chorus, along with the Bell Choir of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, will perform.

She said Santa will greet all children on the bandstand from 1-3 p.m., but they must be in line by 2:30 p.m. to see Santa. There will be goody bags for all children, as well as chances on prizes.

O’Neill said there will be horse-drawn wagon rides from 1:15-4 p.m. The cost is $4 for adults, and $2 for kids.

She said Off The Charts Music School “Elves” will perform holiday favorites.

O’Neill said the Palmerton High School sports teams will be honored.

She said the actual tree lighting will take place at 5 p.m.

“All students, ages K-12, will be invited to come up and help with the countdown,” O’Neill said. “We know that the kids, they’ve been super great and super brave for the past almost two years.”

O’Neill said that the Christian Action Council of Palmerton Area Churches will perform Christmas carols from 5 until around 6 p.m.

She said there will be over 25 food and craft vendors, which is the most in the event’s history.

O’Neill said donations of new unwrapped toys will be accepted for the CACPAC Toys for Kids Drive.

Also, she said nonperishable food items will be collected for the CACPAC Food Pantry, and all donations may be placed in the bandstand.

O’Neill said guests can vote on the People’s Choice Award for their favorite tree during the event up at the bandstand.

She said this year’s event will feature 154 trees decorated throughout the community. The Christmas trees were supplied by Rehrig’s Nursery.

O’Neill said this year they plan to try out a new look for the recently refurbished bandstand.

“We don’t know if it will be permanent or not; we’re trying to see what maybe our next project can be,” she said. “The bandstand was refurbished this year, we’re looking at maybe refurbishing the lights on it.”

O’Neill noted that last year’s event also had 154 trees that went on with timers at around dusk.

She said there’s been a buzz around town with the kids in anticipation of this year’s return to an in-person event.

“It’s awesome to be back,” O’Neill said. “We have such a great community, we know everybody missed it; we missed being able to put the whole event on for the people.”

O’Neill said she’s in awe of how the concept has cropped up in multiple municipalities.

“We were the original; it has spread to neighboring communities, which is just amazing,” she said.

“Many other communities have actually reached out to us to ask how we do it; it is spreading, which is absolutely amazing.”

O’Neill said that each one has different elements that set them apart from one another.

“We put our own uniqueness,” she said. “Ours really embodies Palmerton, the people of Palmerton, the children of Palmerton, and the Palmerton community and coming together.”