NORWAY — Santa Claus will light the town Christmas tree at Butters Park on Friday.

Town firetrucks will lead Santa’s musical sleigh of lights to the intersection of Water and Main streets, beginning at 6:15 p.m.

Parks and Recreation Director Debra Partridge said the parade will go down Beal Street onto Main Street to the Advertiser-Democrat Block. It will go left onto Pikes Hill Road, right onto Water Street and proceed to Butters Park. Santa will light the tree with his “magic dust,” she said.

Participants can also join in singing Christmas songs with firefighters Colin Chase, a 2013 graduate of Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School and the grandson of Norway fire Chief Dennis Yates.

Following the tree lighting, Santa will go back to the fire station on Danforth Street, where he and Mrs. Claus will greet children and read a story. Children can also have a picture taken with Santa and enjoy refreshments. The books Santa and Mrs. Claus will read will be given to two lucky children, Partridge said.

The long-standing tradition of lighting the town Christmas tree was initiated by the late fire Chief Bob Butters in the 1970s.

“We think (the parade) started about 1975,” Partridge said. It drew more than 100 people to watch in 2012.

For more information about the parade and tree lighting, contact Partridge at 743-6651 or debpart@megalink.net.

ldixon@sunjournal.com