VILLAGE OF FAYETTEVILLE – Like it has for decades, the Village of Fayetteville will be ringing in the annual holiday season with a tree lighting ceremony later this month.
The festivities will take place from dusk until approximately 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 26. People are mainly expected to gather around the village center located in front of the fire station at 425 E. Genesee St.
As a way to pay tribute to loved ones they have lost, attendees can purchase lights to place on the memory tree originally set up by Fayetteville Senior Center staff members. The goal will be to sell enough to get the tree fully lit by Christmas.
All of the money raised by the purchases will go toward the operation of the senior center down the road.
The event, a tradition in the village for close to 30 years, will also feature horse-drawn wagon rides as well as a visit from Santa Claus himself.
Sponsored by the Village and the fire department, the wagon rides go down Cammot Lane and Barker Lane before looping around and heading back to the fire station.
Letters have been sent to the homeowners in that neighborhood as a reminder to decorate their houses and turn on their outside lights in anticipation of the carriages, which transport about 15 to 20 people for each ride.
“Every year people love to get on a hay wagon ride singing Christmas carols throughout the village,” Mayor Mark Olson said. “It’s just something special that I think brings us together.”
For the Friday celebration, hot cocoa and hot cider will be offered inside the fire station, though face masks will be required and no food will be served.
“We just have to keep in mind that we’re at the fire station, and it’s a great facility for this event, but it is still locked down because of COVID,” Olson said. “We have to keep that running and keep it open. We’ll get to have the event there, but we’ll take every precaution to make sure that it remains a safe building.”
Nevertheless, according to Olson, the celebration makes for a great meetup for family and friends, especially since people will already be home for Thanksgiving.

In other news
At its Nov. 8 meeting, Fayetteville’s board of trustees approved the fire contract with the Town of Manlius. The mayor also signed the village’s annual agreement with the town for deer culling.
The Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee will be holding its next meeting at 6 p.m. in the village hall on East Genesee Street. The meeting will be livestreamed and posted on www.fayettevilleny.gov. Local residents are also welcome to attend in person.