Thursday November 17, 2016, The French Market Corporation hosts its annual tree lighting at Washington Artillery Park, across from Jackson Square. The lighting is the first event on the Christmas New Orleans Style calendar, ushering in the holiday season in New Orleans. The evening begins with a musical performance of jazz holiday music by the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park Centennial Band at 5:00 p.m. At 5:45 p.m., civic leaders will speak and the tree will be lit at 6:00 p.m. Following the lighting of the tree, a brass band will lead the crowd in a secondline around Jackson Square, to end in front of the Cathedral for the first Christmas New Orleans Style concert of the season, a gospel performance by The Jones Sisters, at 6:30 p.m. Both the tree lighting event and Cathedral concert are free and open to the public. More info
