MOSES LAKE — Downtown Moses Lake will be a hopping spot Friday, with food, games, music and the lighting of the downtown Christmas tree. Oh, and a visit from Santa Claus, but without the sleigh. 

“We are going to have Santa ride in on a fire truck,” said Downtown Moses Lake Association Director Mallory Miller. “That fire truck is going to hang out for the entirety of our two-hour event so Santa can get pictures and kids can look at the fire truck.” 

The Downtown Tree Lighting is the traditional kickoff to the holiday season for Moses Lake. The tree is already in Sinkiuse Square, Miller said, just waiting to be decorated. It’s a 24-footer, sponsored by state Sen. Judy Warnick, she added. 

Besides the tree, there will be music spun by DJ Dale Roth, food and hot drinks and crafts, Miller said.  

Some of the preparation was already done Thursday, with volunteers hanging decorations on streetlights downtown. There’s an addition this year, Miller said; besides the familiar wreaths, there are LED snowflakes hanging from every other pole. The snowflakes were paid for by Spokane Teachers Credit Union, Miller said, and LocalTel and Grant PUD helped set them up. 

The scavenger hunt will return as well, Miller said. Children can come to the DMLA table at Sinkiuse Square for a list of businesses where an ornament is hidden, and then go from shop to shop seeking out the ornaments. One the list is filled in, they can bring it back to be entered in a drawing for a prize. Or rather, prizes, Miller said; the DMLA is planning to draw more than one winner this year. 

“We normally have like 500 pieces of paper turned in, so we want to be able to make sure that we can give out some more prizes instead of just one,” she said. 

The scavenger hunt has the twin advantages of being fun for the children and good for businesses, Miller said. 

“Last year we had one business say that she counted 150 kids come through her store,” she said. “It's not necessarily a night for sales per se because of kids running around everywhere looking for the ornament that they have to find. But a lot of people are like, ‘Oh my gosh, I didn't know this store existed.’ So, it opens up the door for them to go back and shop.” 

Downtown Tree Lighting 

4-6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21 

Sinkiuse Square 

306 S. Ash St. 

Moses Lake 

This story has been updated to reflect that events are scheduled for Friday. 

    A family has their photo taken with Santa at last year’s tree lighting in downtown Moses Lake. This year, Santa will still pose for photos but it will be on a fire truck.
  

    Attendees at a past Downtown Tree Lighting make s’mores over a fire pit.