Olde Towne Holiday Lights November 21
Date: November 10, 2025 By: director@oldetowneportsmouth.com Category: Blog
A Progressive Illumination of High Street from the Tree Lighting to the Arrival of St. Nick!
Friday, November 21, 2025, from 5 – 9 pm
Enjoy a hometown holiday tree lighting complete with decorations, music, live entertainment, and even a little snow, followed by Santa arriving by fire truck! The kids can enjoy special crafts, face painting, fairy hair, and free commemorative family photos (while supplies last). Additionally, the Olde Towne shops will be open late for you to enjoy. You can be sure to get in the holiday spirit right here in Olde Towne!
Schedule:
High Street Corridor 5 – 8:30 pm
Olde Towne Merchants’ Holiday Open House
Monumental United Methodist Church
Visit the Coleman Collection Nativity Scene and enjoy free hot apple cider from 5 – 7:30 pm.
Anderson-Wright Rooms & Gardens
Enjoy listening to Don Comer’s “Sounds of the Season” while sipping hot apple cider with cookies from 6:30 – 7:30 pm.
Middle Street Mall Activities 5– 6 pm
You can get in the holiday spirit with music, face painting, fairy hair, Santa’s elves, costumed characters, and free crafts sponsored by That Art Store. Get a free photo by the Olde Towne Holiday tree! The first 50 families receive a complimentary 5×7 holiday photo (one per family) from Mobile Photo LabTM, sponsored by the Portsmouth Olde Towne Farmers Market. Free digital copies will also be available.
Satisfy your sweet tooth with some goodies from Hello Sweetie Cheesecake and grab a coffee or hot chocolate from Olde Towne Coffee. Both shops will stay open late!
The Olde Towne Music Shop Children’s Chorus will perform at 5:30 pm.
Share your holiday joy! Please bring a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots!
Holiday Tree Lighting Program 6 – 6:30 pm
Enjoy Father Christmas and the Carolers of Christmas Past, and watch the Snow Queen and the Sugar Plum Fairy light the tree.
Don’t be surprised if you even see a little snow!
Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center 7 – 7:15 pm
Next, follow the Portsmouth Pipes, red farm truck, costumed characters, and Santa’s elves to the Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center, where you can enjoy watching festive performance artists, the Grinch, and the Olde Towne Music Shop’s Children’s Chorus Light the Courtyard!
Green Street Activities 7:30 – 8:30 pm
For the Grand Finale, follow the Portsmouth Pipes, red farm truck, costumed characters, & Santa’s elves to High & Green Street.
Santa arrives by Fire Truck at 7:30 pm!
Porte Towne Magic performs at 7:30 pm!
Get a free photo with Santa! The first 50 families receive a complimentary 5×7 holiday photo (one per family) from Mobile Photo LabTM, sponsored by the Portsmouth Olde Towne Farmers Market. Free digital copies will also be available. Visit Sparky’s Siren Station Video Gaming Fire Truck, then enjoy roasting marshmallows with the holiday costumed characters and Santa’s elves. You can also have free hot chocolate and hot apple cider sponsored by Cure Coffeehouse.
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“A Watchstanders’ Christmas” at Post Secondary Brewing from 8 – 9 pm
End your evening listening to this FREE musical tribute honoring the Military, First Responders, and anyone who knows what it’s like to not be home for the holidays.
Sponsored by Portsmouth Economic Development, City of Portsmouth, Portsmouth Olde Towne Farmers Market, Mobile Photo Lab, Cure Coffeehouse, and the Olde Towne Business Association.
These Olde Towne shops are open late and decked out for the holidays:
Olde Towne Music Shop
That Art Store
Children’s Museum Gift Shop
Portsmouth Welcome Center
Olde Towne Coffee
Little Shoppes on High
Market Street & General Store
Sole Right Men’s Fine Footwear
ELG Sweet Boutique
Hello Sweetie Cheesecake
Bier Garden Gift Shop
4 Print’s Sake
Way Back Yonder Antiques
Nailz2C & More
Anderson-Wright Rooms & Gardens
Kitchen Koop
Studio CK Salon
Bloom Market
Cure Coffeehouse
Post Secondary Brewing
