Amherst, Merry Maple

The Annual Lighting of the Merry Maple on the Amherst Town Commons. FREE event – OPEN to all! Join the community for a magical evening as the Town Common sparkles to life and downtown becomes a winter wonderland. Savor music, warm drinks, and the joyful countdown to the tree lighting, then linger for photos, window shopping, and family friendly activities that keep the holiday spirit glowing. The tree illumination is only one part of the merriest downtown Amherst events on Friday. Join us for the festivities from 3-6PM and then after, enjoy all that downtown has to offer! Shop, eat, and experience the heart of Amherst freshly decorated as a winter wonderland! The 50-plus-year-old tradition of lighting a living tree in the North Common was first documented in print in the Amherst Record in 1966. Prior to that a Christmas tree was brought in to be decorated and lit.