By Greg Ellison

(Nov. 5, 2020) A slightly altered Ocean Pines Hometown Christmas Tree Lighting in White Horse Park is scheduled on Nov. 28 beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Recreation and Parks Director Debbie Donahue said the response from community members and area businesses interested in sponsoring and decorating trees has been phenomenal.

“We’ve got 15 trees left out of 40,” she said. “It’s not been out there that long and we’ve already sold the majority of them.”

For a $60 fee residents, businesses and social organizations can reserve and decorate nearly 10-feet tall trees for the Hometown Christmas event, which is now hitting the 10-year mark. .

“We haven’t quite figured out if we’re going to limit numbers per tree,” she said. “Sometimes you have an organization that purchases a tree and a whole group of people will come.”

Donahue said some aspects of the Nov. 28 event are still being finalized.

“We’re still ironing out the details of how the actual event is going to go,” she said.

In addition to lighting  the official Ocean Pines Association tree, the event will receive a visit from Santa Claus, who may be seen but not touched.

“We will have Santa in his house, however, it will be roped off in some fashion,” she said. “We can’t have kids sitting on his lap [but] they can give us a letter [or] put it in a mailbox.”

While not able to whisper gift wishes in Santa’s ear tikes can still relay holiday hopes.

“They can tell Santa what they want from a distance,” she said.

Family members can also witness the holiday light displays scattered throughout White Horse Park.

Donahue said although a host of finer details are still being negotiated the event timeframes will remain unchanged.

“As we get closer we will have more information,” she said.

Donahue said this year’s event was supposed to include an anniversary celebration, but that idea was dropped because of the pandemic.

To reserve a tree, contact Katie Goetzinger at kgoetzinger@oceanpines.org or call the Recreation and Parks Department at 410-641-7052.

For more information on Recreation and Parks activities, visit oceanpines.org/web/pages/recreation-parks or facebook.com/OPRecandParks.