Watertown Lights Two Trees on December 5, and the Planning Starts in November

On Saturday, December 5, Watertown lights two trees. The city lights its tree at the Commander's Mansion at 4:30 p.m. At 5:30 p.m., the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center lights its own on Nichols Avenue, at the end of a holiday market that has been open since 11 that morning.

The two lightings fall an hour apart, so one family can spend the whole afternoon and evening between them. The town's Chanukah events fall on that same weekend and the Monday after. Several things that shape the day are due before Thanksgiving, and the first deadline is this coming Monday.

Monday, November 23 Decides Who Lights the City's Tree

One Watertown child will serve as Grand Marshal of the Merry Mingle and pull the lever that lights the tree. That child is chosen through a coloring contest run by the Watertown City Events Team.

Here is how the contest works, according to the Merry Mingle event page:

1. Download the 2026 coloring packet from the event page, or pick up a copy at the Watertown Free Public Library, which has had them since November 2.
2. Read the eligibility rules printed in the packet.
3. Turn in the finished packet by November 23. You can drop it off at the library or mail it to the Watertown City Events Team, c/o Commander's Mansion, 440 Talcott Ave., Watertown, MA 02472. Mailed entries must arrive by the end of the day on the 23rd.
4. Winners are notified on Monday, November 30.
5. The Grand Marshal has to arrive by 4 p.m. on December 5 to join the parade and the lighting. If the winner can't come, the runner-up takes the spot.

The toy drive also starts well before the lighting. The Merry Mingle partners with the Watertown Police Department and the Whooley Foundation to collect gifts for children in need, in honor of former Watertown Police Officer Sonny Whooley. You can bring donations to the event itself. You can also drop them off at the Commander's Mansion Wednesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. That window opened November 4, and the last drop-off day is Thursday, December 17.

The wish list goes well beyond toys. It includes winter hats, gloves and scarves, Nike socks and other branded clothing, beauty products, sports equipment, board and card games, throw blankets, art supplies, stuffed animals, Legos and gift cards. With a list that broad, a donation from a holiday trip to Arsenal Street is easy to put together.

If tonight is free, the library also hosts Women's Game Night on Thursday, November 19, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 123 Main St., with no registration required.

Thanksgiving Morning Starts at Donohue's

Nine days before the lightings, the season opens on Bigelow Avenue. The Donohue's Turkey Trot, listed with the Watertown Running Club, runs Thursday, November 26, from 8 to 11 a.m. at Donohue's Bar and Grill.

• 7 a.m.: Race-day registration opens on the back patio.
• 7:30 a.m.: Free breakfast opens.
• 8:30 a.m.: The 5K starts.
• 8:35 a.m.: The free kids' fun run starts.

Registration costs $40 in advance and $50 on race day, so signing up early saves $10. The post-race breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon is free for spectators as well as runners. Every runner is entered in a raffle with more than 50 six-packs of beer and bottles of wine.

December 5, Hour by Hour

The ACEC market starts first and finishes last, and the whole Merry Mingle program runs inside its hours.

At the Commander's Mansion

The city's event runs rain or shine. After the lighting, the open house adds a craft station, kids' games run by the Watertown Recreation Department, storytime with the Watertown Free Public Library, hot cocoa and treats, and a "Holidays around the World" experience inside the Mansion. Natalie Nigito Photography takes Santa photos from 5 to 7 p.m.

Free visitor parking is in the East Garage, behind 311 Arsenal St. on the Arsenal on the Charles campus. Accessible parking is on Talcott Avenue in front of the Mansion.

At the ACEC

This is the ACEC's third tree lighting. The day is built around the market, with local small businesses and artisan vendors selling holiday gifts, seasonal home decor, handmade soaps and candles, specialty coffee and books. There is a children's corner, the event is open to the public, and parking is free.

In its announcement in the Armenian Weekly, the ACEC planning committee described the day this way:

"It's a chance to support local makers while gathering to share the warmth and joy of the season."

Because the market runs nine hours, you can shop there at midday, go to the parade and the 4:30 lighting at the Mansion, and still have time left in the ACEC's evening. Or you can do it the other way around and catch the barbershop ensemble at 6:30 after the ACEC's 5:30 lighting. Questions about the market go to [email protected].

Chanukah Runs Through the Same Three Days

The Chanukah events are spread over the same weekend, so the season covers more than the tree lightings.

That Saturday starts at the library. Chanukah Through the Senses – An LGBTQ+ Family Celebration runs from 10:30 a.m. to noon in the Watertown Savings Bank Room at 123 Main St. It is free and open to all, with no registration needed. It ends about an hour after the ACEC market opens.

On Sunday, December 6, the same room hosts the library's winter concert, Awareness in Sound with Castle of Our Skins, from 2 to 3 p.m.

On Monday, December 7, Arsenal Yards and Chabad Watertown hold the 5th Annual Chanukah Celebration in Bond Square from 4 to 6 p.m.:

1. Crafts and games start at 4 p.m.
2. A fire show starts at 4:45 p.m.
3. Chabad Watertown leads the menorah lighting at 5 p.m.
4. The Watertown Fire Department does a gelt drop at 5:15 p.m.

There will also be live music, an interactive light display from Brighter Ignited, sufganiyot and hot chocolate. Treats are first come, first served. RSVP through Eventbrite is encouraged but not required. The event depends on the weather, and Arsenal Yards may cancel it if conditions are bad.

Dinner After the Lights

The Merry Mingle ends at 7 p.m., so dinner on December 5 lands in a part of town where several restaurants have changed hands since summer.

Bougie Pizza Co. has taken over the former Pizza Roma space at 212 Waverley Ave. It serves sourdough pizza and sandwiches, as Watertown News reported in September. According to Bougie's own hours page, Saturday ordering runs from 4 to 8:30 p.m., which leaves time after the barbershop set.

Badam Uyghur Cuisine is taking over the Home Taste space at 58 Mt. Auburn St. Its owner, Adila Sadir, created Silk Road in Cambridge, which Watertown News called the Boston area's first Uyghur restaurant. WhatNow Boston reported a November 2026 target for welcoming diners.

On Arsenal Street, Buff's Pub, the Newton Corner wing spot founded in 1976, is bringing Buff's Burgers & Wings to 46 Arsenal St. That is the former home of Belle's Burgers and Ice Cream, which served its last meals on September 25 after 22 years. The same owners ran Wild Willy's Burgers in the spot before Belle's.

A holiday calendar like this one, with a parade from Branch Line, a market on Nichols Avenue and a menorah in Bond Square, shapes what a weekend in Watertown feels like. If you're considering a move within town or to it, let's talk about the streets around the places you already go. Let's discuss your Boston move. Call or message Alexandra Haueisen today.