Downtown Hermiston was packed Thursday night for the annual Tree Lighting Celebration. This year’s event included a parade prior to the tree lighting. The Hermiston High School music department entertained the large crowd with holiday songs, and downtown businesses stayed open for folks to get started on their Christmas shopping. When the parade ended, Hermiston Mayor Dave Drotzmann announced the arrival of Santa Claus who greeted the crowd before flipping the switch to light up the Christmas tree.
