Delray Beach will celebrate the holidays with the Famous 100 Foot Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Thursday, December 1, 2011. Festivities will begin at 5:00 pm with wonderful entertainment, outdoor skating, the holiday carousel and much more.

At 7:00 pm, spectators will gather at Old School Square, 51 North Swinton Avenue, to welcome the arrival of Santa Claus via the Sky 12 helicopter and witness the illumination of over 15,000 glistening LED holiday tree lights. The celebration will continue in Downtown Delray Beach with “On the Ave” until 10:30 pm.

ROAD CLOSURES

Beginning at 3:30 pm, East Atlantic Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic from Swinton Avenue to NE/SE 6th Avenue (US Highway 1) and to the alley north of Atlantic Avenue (on NE 1st Avenue, NE 2nd Avenue, Railroad Way and NE 4th Avenue) and from Atlantic Avenue to the alley south (on SE 1st Avenue, SE 2nd Avenue, SE 3rd Avenue and SE 4th Avenue). Atlantic Avenue will reopen after 10:30 pm.

DOWNTOWN ROUNDABOUT SHUTTLE SERVICE MODIFIED ROUTE

The Downtown Roundabout free shuttle bus service will run on a modified route during the tree lighting ceremony with service extended until midnight. Two buses, one originating at the Tri-Rail station on Congress Avenue and the other at the Delray Beach Public Library, will provide round trip shuttle service to the beach via Atlantic Avenue using detoured routes on NE/SE 1st Streets.

PARKING FACILITIES

Parking fees, at a rate of $5 per vehicle, will be in effect at the following locations beginning at 4:00 pm:

Robert Federspiel Parking Garage – 22 SE 1st Avenue

Old School Square Parking Garage – 95 NE 1st Avenue

Beginning at 5:00 pm, the following parking locations will be available and a $5 parking fee will apply:

South County Courthouse Parking Garage – 65 SW 2nd Avenue

The north parking lot of City Hall – 100 NW 1st Avenue

Parking attendants accept cash only and will monitor the garages/parking lots until the posted closing times.

For more information on the Famous 100 Foot Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, please call (561) 279-1380 or visit . For more information on event parking and/or the shuttle service, please call (561) 243-7000.