Santa arrives in Cheshire to lead the parade to the tree lighting. 

CHESHIRE, Mass. — The town center was alive with holiday cheer on Sunday evening as Santa Claus led a brigade of hay rides from the Festival of Trees to the Christmas tree lighting.

Cheshire was one of three North Berkshire communities on Sunday that marked the beginning of the holiday season with tree lightings and events.

The third annual festival, which opened on Sunday, showcases more than 70 decorated trees from local businesses and town departments. It has grown yearly, with 32 trees in the first year and 53 in the second year.

DPW Director Corey McGrath said the event exceeded expectations and the camaraderie between town departments made it easy to plan.

"It falls into place," he said. "… you put it out there, you build it, and they come."

McGrath sais when he started the event, there were going to be 13 town committee trees to match the windows of the Cheshire Community House's main room "and they said 'No, go big.'"

"That's what we've got now," he said. "Through the whole month, it will just be endless people all day."

The evening began at the tree show with live holiday music and adorned greenery around every corner.  Santa arrived in a firetruck and attendees were transported to the Old Town Hall for the Christmas tree lighting, later returning to the Community House for refreshments.

Town Administrator Jennifer Morse said businesses and departments called to reserve trees donated by Whitney's Farm and voters will choose a winner by the end of the festival. The best in show will get a free tree from the farm next year.

There was also a raffle to benefit the Recreation Committee.

"It’s open all the way until the 29th," Morse said. "So people are welcome to come in at any point [during open hours] and look at it."

Selectwoman Michelle Francesconi said planning has been "really smooth."

"I think that the town employees and volunteers have all kind of settled in now that it is the third year of the event and the festive atmosphere starts the week of Thanksgiving when all of the trees start getting set up and Christmas music is playing in town offices," she explained.

"There is so much interest that we have more interest than we have space for the trees so, at some point in time we'll be pretty full but I think that the community is anticipating the event now every year and the word is spreading."

She added that there is a lot of interest in tree theming and that volunteers and businesses are enthusiastic about creating something new and exciting.

The tree at Old Town Hall was donated by Youth Center Inc. and a child was selected to help Santa light it.

"Differences are always put aside when it comes to something like this," McGrath said.

Adams also hosted carriage rides around the downtown, a visit with Santa Claus in the Town Common's gazebo and hot cocoa and candy from the Adams Lions Club. The tree was lighted about 4:30.

Santa, or one of his helpers, was also in Clarksburg, above, and in Adams.

In Clarksburg, preschoolers and kindergartners from school serenaded the crowd at annual Christmas tree lighting at Peter Cooke Memorial Town Field.