DOVER — Downtown Dover will celebrate the holiday season with several partnering organizations starting with the traditional Capital Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting Friday evening.

Today’s First Friday activities will begin at 4 p.m. at the library, followed by caroling led by local dignitaries at The Plaza in front of City Hall and official tree lighting. Snacks and Santa will be outdoors at the library. For those that miss him in person, letters can be mailed by way of the special mailbox next to Santa, and then until Christmas, the mailbox will be inside the library.

Also at the Dover Public Library, children will enjoy picking up their “Grab ‘n Go Craft Kits” and at 6 p.m., community members are invited to take in holiday tunes at the In Harmony concert featuring Tim and Steffi Plimpton. Community members are asked to bring a nonperishable food item to the library for the food drive to benefit local pantries.

lso on First Friday, shoppers are encouraged to have dinner at local restaurants, or at Loockerman Way Plaza for Sweets And Treats, Gastro Graffiti, and other vendors, then shop later into the evening on Loockerman and adjacent streets where musical buskers will be performing inside many of the shops:

• Phyllis Edamatsu on accordion with a focus on classical to jazz holiday sounds at Black Swamp Artisanal Market.

• Singer/songwriters Mollie Raley Hall and Steve Hall on guitar, ukulele, mandolin and percussion drums with an eclectic mix of mostly folk, pop and holiday at the Delaware Shoppes and Parke Green Galleries.

• George and Ossi playing from 4 to 6 p.m. at Grey Fox Grille & Public House.

• Josh and Brandye Nobiling featuring folk songs of 60s, 70s and 80s at the Dover Art League.

• Diane Laird playing a mix of holiday season and other instrumental favorites on keys at My Roots.

• Mike Miller on acoustic guitar playing/singing Americana-themed pieces at Tina’s Timeless Threads.

• Stu’s Blues performing blues on upright bass, harmonica and guitar at the House of Coffi.

For updates on the full program and other seasonal activities throughout the month, visit here.

Holiday celebrations will continue in Dover on Dec. 11 with the “electric light parade” that will showcase more than vehicles. For information, visit Dashing Through Downtown Dover Parade on Facebook.

On the First Saturday of each month, First State Heritage Park of Dover, Delaware’s first urban park without boundaries, welcomes citizens and guests of Dover with a series of thematic programs and events.

On Saturday, the feature will be 1920 Holiday Traditions at the John Bell House, to learn about holiday celebrations in the 1920s, have your picture taken in then tableau and receive it electronically in an authentic holiday greeting card style of your choice. The Johnson Victrola Museum will be bringing an authentic Victrola to play period-style Christmas music.

FSHPD is also reviving an artistic tradition among early Americans: historic illuminations craft. Using candlelight, celebratory images, silhouettes, special messages and more will adorn the night. Until Dec. 18, join FSHPD in making these special decorated paper lanterns to display on the grounds of Woodburn, the Governor’s House, with an event on Dec. 18.

The community can also enjoy “Frida Kahlo: Through the Lens of Nickolas Murray” and “Unmasking Culture: An Examination of the Ritual Masks of Mexico” at the Biggs Museum of American Art.

Also at the Biggs:

Saturday: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. First Saturday Children’s Pop-up Shop and Biggs Kids Winter Workshop

Tuesday: 6-7 p.m. “Unmasking Culture” Guided Tour and lecture by the collection owner, Stephen Althouse (presented in English)

Wednesday: 6-7 p.m. Unmasking Culture Guided Tour and lecture by the collection owner, Stephen Althouse

Dec. 20-22: 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ArtVenture Single Day Winter Camps for children 6-13

Throughout the month of December, participate in a downtown Dover StoryWalk while enjoying the colorfully lit merchant windows. Inspired by the book “Sugar White Snow and Evergreens,” the decorating theme will be “ A Winter Wonderland of Color.”

Poster-sized pages of the book will be featured in downtown windows, and one page leads the viewer to the next. For details, contact Rosie Mujica at rosie.mujica@gmail.com.

These events have been produced jointly by the city of Dover, Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce, Dover Public Library and the Downtown Dover Partnership/Main Street Dover.