CORKERY – It was the night the lights went on in Corkery.

The Corkery Community Association (CCA) decided to try something new this holiday season. On Friday, Dec. 6 the community association hosted its first Christmas Tree Lighting celebration at the community centre.

There was a craft station, a cupcake station, free hot chocolate if you brought your own mug ($1 a cup if you didn’t), caroling and, of course, a tree lighting.

“We’ve never had a Christmas event,” CCA President Katherine Woodward told West Carleton Online from the community centre before things got busy. “Last year we saw the Dunrobin tree lighting and I said ‘we can do that.’ We’re too small for a parade.”

So, by early evening the community centre was full of kids and their parents creating their own cupcakes thanks to Carp’s Michelle Jefferies who organized the activity, singing, drinking hot chocolate and having fun.

“I’m super excited about that,” Woodward said.

Earlier in the week St. Michael’s Catholic School, Corkery Grade 1 students made decorations for the tree. The night of, the West Carleton Glee Club was on hand to sing carols throughout the night. The tree would be lit and the community would help decorate it.

A rough estimate of around 80 people were at the event by approximately 6:45 p.m.