"My father, Harry Keleshian, understood this when he first brought the lights to Greenwich Avenue as a merchant in the 1970s," Alyssa Keleshian-Bonomo of the Greenwich Community Foundation said in the foundation's 2026 announcement, which the Greenwich Free Press published. Half a century later, the lights still come from merchants and neighbors. The Town of Greenwich doesn't pay for them.
Because of that history, the lights don't all go on at once. Greenwich Avenue and downtown Cos Cob are lit by one fundraising campaign, and Sound Beach Avenue is lit by another. The town's own tree at Town Hall is a third event, on its own date. Each one has its own sponsors, its own season, and its own idea of when the holidays start.
On Greenwich Avenue, the size of the display depends on the fundraising
The Greenwich Community Foundation runs the downtown display under the name Let There Be Lights. It covers Greenwich Avenue, East Putnam Avenue from Church Street to Greenwich Avenue, and downtown Cos Cob. According to the foundation's Let There Be Lights 2026 page, the strands go into the trees "from top to bottom including most side streets."
The program describes itself as 100 percent community funded, with no town money or financial help behind it. Its announcement spells out what that means: "Every dollar raised helps bring more lights to more trees, making the display more expansive throughout our downtowns." How full the Avenue looks in December depends on how much money comes in during October and November.
The work starts weeks ahead. A licensed lighting company installs the strands under the supervision of the Greenwich Community Foundation and SEBASS Events. Weather permitting, installation begins around the middle of October. The lights go on during Thanksgiving week, and the Free Press announcement says they stay up through the end of January 2027. The foundation's FAQ lists a lighting ceremony as "To be determined."
Two things changed in 2026. Interactive Brokers is the presenting sponsor. The Greenwich Association of REALTORS®, already a Gold Sponsor, added a community matching program that matches donations dollar for dollar up to $10,000. Online donors can choose the GAR Matching Program option. Until the match reaches its cap, every gift counts twice toward the number of lit trees.
Giving takes a few minutes:
- Online. Go to gwchavenue.org. The foundation accepts credit card or ACH transfer.
- By check. Make it payable to Greenwich Community Foundation Inc. and mail it to PO Box 7791, Greenwich, CT 06836.
- As a business. The foundation's page invites businesses interested in partnering to contact SEBASS Events.
The sponsor list shows how far the support reaches. It includes Saks Fifth Avenue, Shreve Crump & Low, Faherty, Vineyard Vines, Famille Jewelers, Pickwick Plaza, Miller Motorcars, Toyota of Greenwich, and the restaurants Hinoki, Miku, Moli and The Cottage, among many others. Kimberly La Du, one of the owners of Famille Jewelers, explained the merchants' reasoning in the same announcement. She said they create a festive atmosphere "that brings people downtown, encourages them to shop local, stay in town longer, dine, and enjoy the season together."
Sound Beach Avenue runs its own campaign and stays lit longer
Old Greenwich isn't part of Let There Be Lights. Its lights come from the Old Greenwich Merchants Association's annual Light Up Old Greenwich campaign, which the Greenwich Sentinel reported had started for the season in its October 23 news briefs. Community donations pay to install and maintain the lights along Sound Beach Avenue, and local merchants pay the electric bill.
The two schedules differ at the end. Sound Beach Avenue's lights run from late November through February, according to the Sentinel. The Avenue's display is due to come down at the end of January. That leaves roughly a month when Old Greenwich still glows after the downtown trees go dark, which makes a February walk down Sound Beach Avenue worth saving for.
Old Greenwich also holds its own kickoff. First Light, the association's evening celebration, has landed on the first Saturday in December in recent years. In 2024 it was Saturday, December 7, from 5 to 8 p.m. In 2025 it was December 6, from 5 to 8 p.m., as Patch reported. The association hadn't posted a 2026 date as of late October. Its Lights on Sound Beach page and events calendar are where the date and donation details will appear.
The town's part is one tree, lit the week after the streets
The Town of Greenwich runs its own Annual Tree Lighting, separate from both street campaigns. Parks and Recreation hosts the free event at Greenwich Town Hall, 101 Field Point Road, on Friday, December 4, 2026, at 4:15 p.m. The program lists Santa, Rudolph and Frosty, refreshments, Greenwich a cappella, and Allegra Dance Greenwich.
Town Hall's tree lights up about a week after the commercial districts. The town still plays a part in the street lights, though not by paying for them. Sebastian Dostmann of the Greenwich Community Foundation thanked the Office of the First Selectman, the Greenwich Police Department, and the Parks and Recreation Department for their help behind the scenes.
Three calendars, side by side
| Let There Be Lights | Light Up Old Greenwich | Town Tree Lighting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Greenwich Avenue, East Putnam Ave. from Church St., downtown Cos Cob | Sound Beach Avenue | Town Hall, 101 Field Point Road |
| Run by | Greenwich Community Foundation | Old Greenwich Merchants Association | Parks and Recreation |
| Paid for by | Residents, businesses, private donors | Community donations; merchants cover electricity | Free Parks and Recreation event |
| Lights on | Thanksgiving week | Late November | Friday, Dec. 4, 4:15 p.m. |
| Lights off | End of January 2027 | Through February | Single evening event |
| Kickoff | Ceremony to be determined | First Light, 2026 date not yet posted | The lighting itself |
What's new to walk to once the trees are lit
The first full weekend under the downtown lights is also Small Business Saturday, which falls on November 28, 2026, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Two downtown storefronts will see their first holiday season this year. Simon Pearce, the Vermont glassware and home furnishings company, opened at 315 Greenwich Avenue in October in a building dating to 1910. It introduced a line of glassware named for Greenwich, including a lowball cocktail glass, which makes an easy hostess gift with a local connection. Downtown, Athena Books announced a second location at 68 Lewis Street. Owners Jennifer Bird and Odysseas Kostas opened the original store at 228 Sound Beach Avenue in Old Greenwich in 2021, and the Sentinel reported the downtown store was expected to open "in the coming weeks." Once it opens, the same independent bookstore will have a shop in Old Greenwich and one downtown.
Families have another opening date to plan around. The Greenwich Reindeer Festival & Santa's Workshop returns to Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses, 437 North Street, from November 27 through December 24, 2026. Its opening "We're Back Party Days" are November 27 and 28. Those are the same days the downtown lights come on and Small Business Saturday arrives.
Seasonal events like these are part of what makes a town feel like home, and they're part of how we present homes here, too. If you're thinking about listing in Greenwich, Coastal Collective Team can tell you how holiday-season timing affects your home's showings, photography and pricing in the weeks around Thanksgiving. Request Your Free Home Valuation.
