City Announces Details for December 7, 2024 Holiday Tree Lighting, Illuminated Holiday Parade & Vintage Christmas Shuttle

The City of Portsmouth NH’s 2024 Holiday Tree Lighting and Illuminated Holiday Parade will be held on Saturday, December 7, 2024 starting at 5 pm. Portsmouth’s Tree Lighting ceremony takes place on the first Saturday in December each year from 5 to 5:30 pm, followed by the annual Illuminated Holiday Parade. Back by popular demand the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth will host the “Shop & Stroll” event immediately following the parade, with Market Square and surrounding side streets kept closed to vehicular traffic until 9 pm to allow for wider pedestrian access to shops and restaurants.

The City’s Department of Public Works installed the 30-foot tall white fir tree in Market Square on Thursday, November 14th and will continue to decorate the tree with 16 strings (560 feet) of lights and 150 ornaments. Town Fair Tire in Newington donated this year’s holiday tree. Crews from DPW will decorate the lamp posts downtown with 152 wreaths and strings of lights. 

“Let It Glow!” is the theme of this year’s Illuminated Holiday Parade. The parade route begins at Goodwin Park on Islington Street at 6 pm and proceeds downtown via Congress Street, continuing through Market Square to Pleasant Street, and crossing State Street before concluding on Junkins Avenue. Spectators are reminded that due to ongoing renovations at the North Church, the sidewalk in front of the church in Market Square will be obstructed.

Accessible Viewing Area – The City is working with Access Navigators to provide a wheelchair-accessible seated viewing area for the parade on the sidewalk along Islington Street between Maplewood and Bridge Streets. This area is reserved for people who have difficulty standing, along with their companions. Space and seating are limited and available on a first-come basis. Nearby public parking includes additional parade-day accessible parking in the Bridge Street Lot, and accessible spaces in the Worth Lot and Foundry Garage. Access Navigators will provide assistance and holiday cheer. For details, visit: accessnavigators.com.

Parking Bans – On-street parking bans and road closures will be in effect on Saturday, December 7th. No parking is allowed on the parade route, including Congress Street, Market Square, Pleasant Street, and Islington Street from Plaza 800 to the intersection with Congress Street. Cars found parked on these streets after 3 pm on December 7th will be towed at the vehicle owner’s expense. Residents, business owners and employees located inside the parade route are advised that vehicles will not be permitted to cross the parade route. Other areas in and around the event will be restricted. Police officers, event volunteers, signs and barricades will be in place for these areas.

Road Closures – The following streets will be closed or restricted to local traffic from 4 to 7 pm on December 7th (streets marked with an *asterisk will be closed until 9 pm). Police officers, signs and barricades will be in place for these streets:

• Islington Street – from Plaza 800 to Maplewood Avenue and all adjacent side streets;
• The intersection of Middle Street, Congress Street, Maplewood Avenue, and Islington Street;
• Congress Street from Market Square to Maplewood Avenue;*
• Daniel Street – from Penhallow Street to Market Square;*
• Market Street – from Bow Street to Market Square;*
• Pleasant Street – from Junkins Avenue to Market Square (*Pleasant Street from Porter Street to Market Square will be closed until 9 pm);
• Fleet Street – from Hanover Street to Congress Street and State Street to Congress Street;
• State Street – from Fleet Street to Pleasant Street;
• Court Street – from Middle Street to Pleasant Street and Washington Street to Pleasant Street;
• Porter Street – from Fleet Street to Pleasant Street;
• Junkins Avenue – from Parrott Avenue to Pleasant Street; and
• Parrott Avenue – from Rogers Street to Junkins Avenue.

People wishing to travel between Maplewood Avenue and Middle Street are directed to use I-95 or Borthwick Avenue. The Maplewood Avenue Bridge is expected to remain closed to vehicular traffic. There will be significant traffic delays in the parade route area and motorists are strongly urged to seek alternate routes away from affected streets. For more details, visit: portsnh.co/events.

Vintage Christmas Trolley – On Saturday, December 7th, the free Vintage Christmas Trolley will be operating from 1:30 to 4 pm and 9 to 10:30 pm. Service will be suspended during the Illuminated Holiday Parade and Shop & Stroll events. For more information about Vintage Christmas, and the free trolley, visit: vintagechristmasnh.org.

COAST Bus – on Saturday, December 7th bus service in and around Market Square will be suspended during the designated road closures. Please visit the COAST website for complete route information and travel assistance at coastbus.org.