Palmerton’s 13th annual Christmas in the Park will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday in the Palmerton Borough Park.

Sponsored by the Holiday Lighting Committee, the event will be comprised of 155 trees and about 30 vendors, said Michele O’Neill, chairperson of the event.

O’Neill noted that new this year, the committee is working with the Palmerton Chamber of Commerce, which is sponsoring the vendors that will now be located along Delaware Avenue in front of the businesses.

“It’s to help promote the businesses and to give a better area for the vendor to get them out of the park for safety purposes for all the people in the park for the trees,” O’Neill said. “It’s much easier to have vendors on a sidewalk.”

O’Neill said that in addition to the new vendor setup, there will be a new tree called “The Children’s Tree” just outside the bandstand that will be decorated by the children of Palmerton during Christmas in the Park.

“There are free ornaments for them to make; they can make two ornaments, one to be on the tree, and one to take home,” said O’Neill, who added this will only be happening during the event itself. “What a way to highlight the kids, have them take some accountability in the park, and say, ‘this is our tree, we helped decorate our tree’.”

What’s more, O’Neill pointed out there is a whole new light display near Patches in the Clock Park by the borough police station, with a snowman family including the dog and the doghouse.

In the park, she said they will have a new light installation of angel wings that will be a photo location where people can come and take their picture in front of the angel wings.

The event will start at noon with the invocation to be presented by the Palmerton United Veterans Organization Color Guard, followed by remarks from borough Mayor Don Herrmann.

The Towamensing Elementary School Chorus and S.S. Palmer Elementary School Chorus will perform.

The schedule of events is as follows:

• 11 a.m.: “The Polar Express” reading at The Little White Church hosted by the Palmerton Area Historical Society.

• 1 to 4 p.m.: Free face painting for children, complement of the Holiday Lighting Committee, as well as Tinsel The Dancing Tree.

• 1 to 3 p.m.: Santa will greet all the children on the bandstand (children must be in line by 2:30 p.m. to see Santa). There also will be goody bags for all children, chances on prizes Strolling Band.

• 1:15 to 3:30 p.m.: Wagon Rides by Steiner Artisan Farms with their Clydesdale horses. The cost for adults is $5, and children $2.

• 1 to 4 p.m.: Carbon Model Railroad Society Open House, 529 Ore St. Admission is free. Donations are welcome.

• 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Holiday favorites performed by Ivory Blue, featuring Frank and Resa Hall.

O’Neill said the goal is to have Christmas in Palmerton the entire weekend.

She dubbed it Christmas in Palmerton Weekend that starts Friday night with the Concourse Club Holiday Light Tour, continues Saturday with Christmas in The Park, and wraps up Sunday with the Ecumenical Christmas Holiday Service with the Christian Action Counsel of Palmerton Area Churches.

“This event is coordinated by a committee of a few volunteers, but it happens because of the people of Palmerton, and all the extra help we get from the different organizations that helps makes this happen,” she said. “Palmerton supports Palmerton, and that’s what’s so remarkable about this.”

O’Neill asked visitors to be open to the changes that will be a part of this year’s event.

“We’re looking at some changes this year; sometimes changes can be hard, but I think the changes in the long run are going to lead to a community event for many years,” she said. “Get out and check out the town, the businesses, the vendors, the restaurants; there’s just so much in Palmerton, it’s the whole community that is just here for the Christmas spirit.”

Donations of unwrapped toys will be accepted for CACPAC TOYS FOR KIDS Drive. Nonperishable food items are being collected for CACPAC Food Pantry. Place donations at the bandstand.

The rain date for the event is Sunday.