WEIRTON, W.Va. — The holiday season officially kicked off in Weirton with the official lighting of the tree at the corner of Main Street and Pennsylvania Avenue Wednesday night.

A tradition that has faded for a while but was revived in 2015 when Mayor Harold Miller took office, aims to bring back the holiday experiences he had in his childhood to the community.

As this was his last tree-lighting ceremony as mayor, Miller reflected on what this annual event means to him.

“I would like to thank the city of Weirton for giving me the opportunity to be mayor,” Miller said. “We’ve done a lot. We’ve done a lot.

“But it’s been amazing for my family. My kids are all here and my grandkids are here and they’re going to be with me today to throw the key to light the tree, just like they’ve been doing since we started this whole program.”

A Christmas on Main Street event will be held on November 23 from 1-7 p.m., featuring a variety of activities designed to spread holiday cheer, including a tree lighting ceremony and fireworks displays.

“This is one of those moments that stands out when you come to Main Street at Christmas, especially the tree lighting ceremony that takes place at 7 p.m.,” said Deputy City Manager Deeann Pulliam. “The crowd is huge and people are cheering for it. The tree burning ceremony will begin.”

Activities will include ice skating, bounce houses, train rides, craft and food vendors, music and more. And something new they added this year is a giant inflatable Santa and virtual reality roller coaster.

Savannah Brock, daughter of Brandy Brock, one of the Christmas event planners at Main, said it was amazing to see the impact her mother and the program had in the community.

“I see everyone coming together as well as a lot of people coming together and having fun because my mom did something so special and it impacted the community,” said Savannah Brock.

As the Weirton Festival Committee wraps up its Christmas preparations on Main Street, two competitions are taking place ahead of the event. These include: Weirton’s Cutest Christmas Pet Photo Contest And Gingerbread House Decorating Contest.

Both have prizes of over $2,500. The last day to participate is Friday.