![['Crowds move past the 2015 Wintertide tree and lights display in downtown Charlottetown Friday on the upper concourse of the Confederation Centre of the Arts. The tree had just been lit and the event was moving to free cookies and hot chocolate in the centre.']](https://saltwire.imgix.net/2015-wintertide-2987050.jpg?cs=srgb&fit=crop&h=568&w=847&dpr=1&auto=enhance%2Cformat%2Ccompress)
Charlottetown’s Wintertide Holiday Festival kicks off this week with the annual Wintertide Holiday Festival Tree Lighting on Friday.
The event begins with a candlelight walk from Peakes Wharf to the Confederation Centre of the Arts upper plaza.
For those who wish to participate in the candlelight walk, meet at Peakes Wharf to pick up your candle between 6 and 6:15 p.m. The festivities begin at the Confederation Centre upper plaza on the Grafton Street side at 6:15 p.m. There will be entertainment and refreshments, along with Father Christmas, the Confederation Centre youth chorus and Julia Dunn.
To make this event possible, there will be minor traffic impacts. From 5 a.m. until 7:30 p.m., there will be no parking on Grafton Street between Queen Street and Great George Street. This section of Grafton will also be closed to vehicular traffic from 4:30 p.m. until the conclusion of the event.
Victorian Christmas Weekend is also underway, beginning on Friday, which means Queen Street between Grafton Street and Richmond Street, and Richmond Street between Pownal Street and Great George Street will be closed to traffic as well.
For more information all festival activities, visit www.charlottetown.ca and click on the Wintertide button.
