Jacksonville Celebrates the Holidays with Christmas Tree Lighting and Ugly Sweater Contest

Jacksonville Gears Up for Holiday Cheer with Christmas Tree Lighting and Ugly Sweater Contest

Who, What, Where, When, and Why

This holiday season, Jacksonville, Florida is celebrating the festivities with a delightful Christmas tree lighting event at James Weldon Johnson Park. The event will feature a fun twist: an ugly sweater contest involving local on-air personalities.

The contest will include four popular figures: anchors Joy Purdy and Kent Justice, River City Live host Rance Adams, and chief meteorologist Richard Nunn. Each participant will showcase their most festive — or “ugly” — sweater in front of a live audience.

The Christmas tree lighting ceremony is set to take place on December 4, 2024, at 6:15 PM, making this a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season.

Competitive Spirit for a Good Cause

To add to the excitement, each participant has put up a $25 wager, resulting in a prize pool that will benefit a charitable organization of the winner’s choice. Voters will get to decide who has the best (or worst) sweater through a poll, encouraging community engagement and fun.

The charities represented are Big Brothers Big Sisters Northeast Florida for Rance, Best Buddies for Richard, Volunteers in Medicine for Joy, and Angelwood for Kent. This endeavor not only promotes holiday spirit but also highlights the importance of giving back during the season of generosity.

Engage in the Festivities

Community members are encouraged to partake in the festivities by sharing their own ugly Christmas sweater photos on the local social platform, SnapJAX. This further enhances community involvement and allows everyone to celebrate the holiday spirit together, regardless of their location.

The event promises to be filled with cheer, laughter, and a sense of togetherness, as the city prepares to unveil a massive Christmas tree that will illuminate downtown Jacksonville. As the community gathers around the sparkling lights, the vote for the ugliest sweater showcases the city’s creativity and playful nature.

Conclusion

As Jacksonville embraces this holiday season, the combination of the Christmas tree lighting and the ugly sweater contest serves as a perfect reminder of the joy and spirit of giving that the holidays bring. Tune in to watch the fun unfold as viewers can help choose the winner before the tree is lit. It is a festive occasion that is bound to put everyone in a cheerful holiday mood.