City lights tree Dec. 4 amid fireworks show and giveaway of bicycles

Display location:Fort Stanwix Parking Garage
City:Rome
State:NY
Date:Dec. 4
Display company:American Fireworks

Details: The city’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony will be held on Friday, Dec. 4, with Santa Claus presiding over festivities and fireworks and a bicycle giveaway in Veterans and Gansevoort parks on North James Street.

The free event will run from 6-8 p.m. Mayor James F. Brown and Santa will throw the switch that will light up the live tree in the northwest corner of Veterans Park.

To keep the street clear for the event and safe for pedestrians, North James Street will be closed to traffic and detours will be marked.

The flash and thunder of fireworks will cap the evening with rockets launched from the Fort Stanwix Parking Garage. The $2,000 show by American Fireworks is sponsored by Wal-Mart.

An annual participant in the event will be back — Bikes for Kids. Ron Crever, who runs the non-profit program that reconditions donated bicycles that are given to children for free, will be on hand for a giveaway after the tree is lit. He said he plans to give away 150-200 bikes to children in need.