Thousands are expected to watch the colorful strings of lights and fireworks illuminate Mount Vernon Place on Dec. 4 for the 54th annual monument lighting.

Visitors will gather on the square to watch the centuries-old Washington Monument light up, marking the unofficial kickoff of the holiday season in Baltimore.

Musical performances from local groups will start around 5 p.m., and about 30 food vendors and beverage stands will operate throughout the evening.

The Mount Vernon Place Conservancy, a neighborhood nonprofit that organizes the event, said there will be performances from vocalists Amanda Alston and Chelsea Dixon, along with the TWIGS Jazz Band, all from the Baltimore School for the Arts. Other performers include the Peabody Brass Ensemble, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids Brass Band, the Emmanuel Choir and the Morgan State University Choir.

Allison Bailey, who played Glinda in the hit Broadway musical “Wicked” that is returning to the Hippodrome this year, will also hit the main stage.

A fireworks show will wrap up the event around 8 p.m.

Officials called off the fireworks last year as firefighters worked to control three blazes across the city that were spreading quickly because of high winds.

The popular Charm City event started as a gathering of Mount Vernon neighbors. The show and lights now attract thousands of people to the Central Baltimore neighborhood, and the event has come back on the first Thursday of December every year. During COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, the lighting was held virtually.

The Washington Monument, a 178-foot-tall structure built in 1829, is located at the center of a roundabout in the heart of Mount Vernon. It was the first monument dedicated to George Washington.

Road closures for monument lighting

Streets near the Washington Monument will be closed to traffic from Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. through late Thursday evening, according to the Baltimore City Department of Transportation.

Starting Wednesday, the blocks on the west side of North Charles Street from East Centre to East Madison streets will be closed, as will both sides of West Mount Vernon Place from North Charles to Cathedral streets.

More streets will be blocked on Thursday, and city officials will be deployed to facilitate traffic. The east side of North Charles Street from East Centre to Read Street will be closed, as will Madison Street from St. Paul to Cathedral streets and both sides of East Mount Vernon Place from St. Paul to North Charles streets.

The Purple Route of the Charm City Circulator will be on a modified schedule due to the road closures, and riders should also expect longer wait times, DOT warned.

Banner reporter Clara Longo de Freitas contributed to this story.