It’s still a week until Thanksgiving, but the Christmas tree lightings are already beginning. Starting this weekend, there are plenty of opportunities to ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ over the lights.

This Friday, the St. Joseph Downtown Association will once again host the City Lights Festival, a benefit for the Noyes Home. Money raised from the event will go toward Christmas gifts and activities for the Noyes Homes children.

“It’s a wonderful event,” says Becky Boerkircher, executive director of the Downtown Partnership.

The festival begins with a chili dinner at 5 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church. Carriage rides will start at 5:30, followed by the arrival of Santa and the tree lighting at 6 p.m. in Coleman Hawkins Park at Felix Street Square.

There will be live entertainment from 5 to 7 p.m., including area choirs, the Riversong Chorus and Evelyn Wyble from Boudreaux’s reading “The Cajun Christmas Story.”

Silent and live auctions will take place at Christ Episcopal at 7 p.m., with everything from jewelry to Christmas decorations to a martini party at Foster’s available for bidding.

St. Joseph’s biggest light display, Holiday Park at Krug Park, will open on Nov. 28, the day after Thanksgiving. Holiday Park is now in its 28th year, according to Harold Stewart, president of the East Hills Optimists, who help organize the event.

Visitors to Holiday Park can drive through and see Santa’s workshop, the three wise men making their trek across the hills, the manger scene and the Rudolph and Santa’s sleigh from the Mead building.

There is no admission for Holiday Park, though Optimist club members will take donations at the end. And every visitor leaves the park with a free Cherry Mash.

“We hope everyone will become a youth again, in their mind, when they go through there,” Mr. Stewart says.

Holiday Park is open from 6 to 10 p.m. every night from Nov. 28 to Jan. 1.

Hyde Park also will be opening on Nov. 28, following the opening of Holiday Park. The opening ceremonies, which will have cookies and Santa and Mrs. Claus, will be at 7 p.m. Everything from Santas to snowflakes will be lit at the park, according to Sharon Ritchey, special events coordinator for the St. Joseph Parks and Recreation Department.

Hyde Park will be lit from 6 to 10 p.m. every night through Jan. 1.

Santa Claus will be at the park from 6 to 9 p.m. every Friday and Saturday.

Mayor Ken Shearin and the Wyeth-Tootle Mansion have teamed up this year to present the Mayor’s Christmas Lighting at Wyeth-Tootle Mansion on Friday, Dec. 5.

“The concept will be the same,” says Jere McKay, administrative assistant to the mayor. “... There will be Christmas trees, we’re just not signifying one as the mayor’s tree.”

The mayor’s lighting will have free carriage rides, Santa and Mrs. Claus, a hot chocolate and cookie reception and a children’s craft area. Charles Dickens Carolers and the Hosea bell ringers will provide entertainment.

Ms. McKay says the arrival of Joseph and Mary at 6 p.m. will signal the start of the lighting. People can park in the city hall parking lot and follow Joseph and Mary to the mansion if they like.

Kansas City also will be hosting its share of Christmas lightings. Zona Rosa will have its holiday lighting ceremony this Saturday, Nov. 22, featuring a 50-foot Christmas tree, the holiday Fairy Princess and Santa and his live reindeer.

The popular Country Club Plaza lighting will be from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving night. “American Idol” winner and Blue Springs, Mo., native David Cook will flip the switch for the lighting, which will be followed by a fireworks display.

Also on Thanksgiving night will be the Kansas City Mayor’s Christmas Tree Lighting at Crown Center Plaza in downtown Kansas City. Mayor Mark Funkhouser and comedian Rob Riggle of “Saturday Night Live” fame will flip the switch on the 100-foot tree decorated with 7,200 lights at 5:30 p.m. A fireworks show choreographed to Christmas music will follow.

Lifestyles reporter Lacey Storer can be reached at lstorer@npgco.com