Mother Nature cooperated for one of the few times in the past five decades the Silverdale community has come together to light its Christmas tree as more than 100 people filled the Silverdale Antiques Store parking lot Saturday evening.

Unlike years past, which have featured a healthy dose of cold weather and an ounce or two of precipitation, skies were clear and temperatures were pleasant allowing children of all ages to enjoy the celebration.

"It went great," said Bill Seelow, who has assisted with the event since its inception 54 years ago. "It's a nice crowd, and a lot of people brought their kids, whose parents brought them when they were kids."

As visitors sipped on hot cocoa and ate cookies provided by the Silverdale Kiwanis Club, students from Brownsville Elementary School filled their air with songs of the season under the direction of choir director Shirley Jenkins.

"It's a great honor for us, so we want to live it up," Jenkins told the crowd.

With the perfect blend of traditional favorites and upbeat tunes, the students entertained the crowd before Santa arrived on a fire truck with an escort from the Kitsap County Sheriff's office.

Once Santa arrived, he turned on the lights of the tree as the holiday spirit officially arrived in Silverdale.

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