# University Place Christmas Tree Lighting

University Place lights its Market Square tree at 6pm, after Santa rolls in on a West Pierce Fire & Rescue engine.

Canonical URL: https://tacomairl.com/events/university-place-tree-lighting-2026/
Section: events
Area: University Place
Published: 2026-10-23
Event status: Upcoming or ongoing
Start date: 2026-12-04
Start time: 16:30
End time: 19:30
Timezone: America/Los_Angeles
Venue: Market Square
Address: 3609 Market Place W, University Place, WA, 98466, US
Price: Free
Age policy: Not confirmed
Reservations: Not confirmed
Organizer: City of University Place
Organizer URL: https://www.cityofup.com/427/Christmas-Tree-Lighting

## Why go

It's a compact town-square evening: Santa arrives by fire engine, the City Council throws the switch, and the Civic Building Atrium holds the kids' activities and Santa photos.

## What happens

Friday, December 4. Festivities start at 4:30pm with U.P. student choirs, cheerleaders and drumlines. Santa arrives on a West Pierce Fire & Rescue engine and takes photos by the Civic Building Atrium fireplace from 5 to 7pm. City Council members light the tree at 6pm. Reindeer, a fire pit and kids' activities in the Atrium round it out.

## Good to know

The city describes its Christmas Tree Lighting as free to the public. For dinner, the city points to food trucks on site and local restaurants nearby.

**Next year:** early December, in Market Square.

## Sources

- [City of University Place: Christmas Tree Lighting](https://www.cityofup.com/427/Christmas-Tree-Lighting)
- [City of University Place: Talking UP, December 2025 (events free to the public)](https://cityofup.com/DocumentCenter/View/5212/December-2025-PDF)