NORWICH – It’s Christmas time in the city, which means plans are underway for the annual tree lighting ceremony in East and West Parks, set to take place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

The annual celebration, sponsored by the Norwich Business Improvement District, is a holiday favorite for hundreds of Norwich residents eager to usher in another Christmas season. With the help of Shawn Sastri and his team of volunteers, trees and shrubs in both East and West Parks have been decorated in layers of luminescent holiday decor that will light up when the switch is thrown.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to welcome in the holiday season,” said Pegi LoPresti, member of the BID Board of Directors. “I think it’s one of the more favored downtown events of the year. Kids have the opportunity to show off their talents and it’s an opportunity to show what downtown merchants have to offer.”