LINCOLN – Lincoln is gearing up for the Christmas holiday with two special events, a Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Friday, Dec. 6, and breakfast with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 14.

Beth Weatherbee, the town’s community events coordinator, said the events are designed to get everyone in the spirit of the holiday season. “We hope this is a way to kick off the shopping season and get people to come to Lincoln,” she said.

“We want to give people a peaceful, warm Christmas feeling,” said Ruth Birtz, the town’s assessor, who will decorate the 18-foot spruce tree with more than 2,000 white and blue lights.

The tree will be lighted at 6 p.m. Friday at Veteran’s Monument Square (the former Mini Mall parking lot) on Main Street.

After the tree is lighted, the crowd will move to The Waterfront, where members of the Lincoln Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce will be serving up hot chocolate and cookies.

Weatherbee said there will be lots of entertainment, including Barbara Schick with the Clair E. Thompson Bell Choir and the children’s bell choir, singalongs with a pianist, a solo violin player and trumpet music. Kids will get to see Santa Claus and even make a holiday craft.

Weatherbee said a new event is the breakfast with Santa from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at the high school cafeteria. In addition to the all you can eat pancake breakfast, Mary Jo Hammond, the children’s librarian, will tell children a holiday story, and the Broadway Bound Dance Academy dancers and the junior high school jazz band will perform. Kids should dress up in their holiday best for a photograph with Santa Claus.

Tickets for the breakfast, which is being sponsored by the Homecoming Committee, are available at the Town Office and the Lincoln Memorial Library at a cost of $4 for adults and $2 for children. All proceeds will benefit Homecoming 2003.