When you think of the start of the holiday season, the annual monument lighting in Mount Vernon might come to mind.
Crews strung more than 16,000 lights on the Washington Monument on Monday in preparation of Thursday's big event: the 46th annual Downtown Partnership Monument Lighting.
"The monument lighting is really a family-friendly event," said Mike Evitts with the Downtown Partnership.
There will be more than 30 food and craft vendors in the holiday village. Live holiday performances will be made by the City College Choir, the Peabody Community Chorus, Harbor City Music Company, OrchKids, the Baltimore Rock Opera Society and the Morgan State University Choir.
The Downtown Partnership also expanded the Whole Food Market Family area where kids can enjoy face painting, pictures with Santa and crafting with the Walters Art Museum.
"Plus, there are adult beverages for the parents, so this is a good evening for everybody," Evitts said.
The event starts at 5 p.m. Thursday in historic Mount Vernon. The evening will end around 8 p.m. with the lighting and a fireworks display.
