Public Celebrations & Ceremonies Committee

Meetings

As needed
Town Hall
29 Middle Road
Boxborough, MA 01719

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Minutes are available following approval.

Members

Jennette Kollmann, Chair
Term expires: 2026
John Fallon
Term expires: 2026
Cassie LaRussa
Term expires: 2028
Becky Neville
Term expires: 2028
George Powell
Term expires: 2028

Kristin Hilberg
Select Board liaison

Boxborough's Annual Tree Lighting Celebration Will Be Held Saturday, December 6

Boxborough’s annual Tree Lighting celebration, hosted by the Public Celebrations and Ceremonies Committee, will be held on Saturday, December 6 at 4 p.m. at the Boxborough Fire Station, 502 Mass Ave.

Enjoy a performance of holiday favorites by the Blanchard BrassWind Ensemble and the Blanchard Chorus, along with complimentary cookies and hot chocolate. High school volunteers will host a face-painting table and a craft table, with wooden ornaments for children to decorate.

Once the tree has been lit and the songs have been sung, Santa Claus will be escorted down Mass Ave by the Boxborough Fire Department to greet children at the Fire Station.

This year, the town has invited representatives from the Boxboro Regency to flip the switch and light the tree. Other recent honorees include Two Friends Chocolates and the FreeBee Market team.

Parking for the tree lighting celebration will be available across Massachusetts Avenue at the Blanchard Memorial School. The Boxborough Police Department will have floodlights and officers stationed at the Massachusetts Avenue crosswalks to help pedestrians safely cross the street.

Come kick off the holiday season with friends and neighbors at this festive Boxborough tradition!

Boxborough to Hold Menorah Lighting Celebration on Sunday, December 14, Seeks Volunteer Families for Subsequent Nights

The Boxborough Public Celebrations and Ceremonies Committee invites all to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah on Sunday, December 14 at 5 p.m. at the town menorah in front the Boxborough Fire Station, 502 Mass Ave.

This year, the town will host a larger first night celebration to light the menorah with music, complimentary refreshments, and a craft table for kids.

The menorah lighting will continue at 6 p.m. on each subsequent night. The town invites Boxborough families to volunteer to lead the lighting. Interested in participating? Sign up by emailing the PCCC at pccc@boxborough-ma.gov and then invite your friends and neighbors to join you!

It is the town’s second year hosting a menorah lighting in addition to the annual tree lighting. The town’s menorah was designed, built, and donated to the town last year by the Kollmann-Klein family.

Parking for the menorah lighting will be available across Massachusetts Avenue at the Blanchard Memorial School.

Overview

The members of the Public Celebrations and Ceremonies Committee (PCCC) are appointed by the Board of Selectmen to a three-year term. The Committee works in conjunction with other groups within Town coordinates celebrations within the town and engages in various projects to preserve the nature and heritage of Boxborough. The three major events in the town year are:

Memorial Day Parade

The route takes marchers along Hill Road to the North Cemetery, down Middle Road to the War Memorial at Town Hall and down Stow Road ending at South Cemetery. At each cemetery stop, the names of deceased veterans are read, flowers are placed and remarks made. View the Memorial Day Parade map (JPG).

Fifer’s Day Festival

The festival is held on the third Saturday in June and is a collaborative effort of the Public Celebrations and Ceremonies Committee, Boxborough Minuteman Company, and the Recreation Commission. A firemen’s muster, sponsored by the Boxborough Firefighter’s Association, is usually held in conjunction with the festival. The parade goes from Blanchard School to Town Hall to Flerra Field where the festival takes place, and is led by the annual Golden Fife recipient, the Parade Marshal and sixth-grade students from Blanchard representing Luther Blanchard and Lucie Hager, the historian who shared Luther’s story.

At Flerra Field the Golden Fife Award is given to a pre-selected citizen(s) of the town in recognition of long service to the town. This is the highest civic honor the town can bestow.