Holiday trees by Mr.TinDC licensed under Creative Commons.

Don your favorite holiday attire and bring the family and furry friends to celebrate the season this Friday, December 6. Cathedral Commons hosts its 5th Annual Tree Lighting to bring the joys of the season to residents of Northwest Washington, DC and beyond.

Enjoy free photos with Santa (kids, dogs, and cats included), live performances, kids’ activities, seasonal giveaways, and festival food offerings from Silver and other Cathedral Commons retailers. The event takes place on Newark Street NW at Wisconsin Avenue NW in Washington, DC. Free and open to the public. Tree lighting is at 8 pm.

Other events from around the region:

Tuesday, December 10

Keep pushing to make Dave Thomas Circle and Florida Ave NE safer: While temporary fixes are finally in place on one of DC’s most dangerous stretches of roadway, there is still a lot of work to done on this stretch of Florida Avenue, from 2nd to H Street NE. Attend this DDOT open house to share your feedback with staff on the the Florida Avenue NE Streetscape Project and the Dave Thomas Circle (Florida Ave-NY Ave NE) Intersection Project. The open house is from 6 to 8 pm, with brief presentations at 6:20 and 7:20. More information and project materials are here.

Wednesday, December 4

Trees Matter Presents: Green Cities Summit (sponsored): Montgomery Parks and Casey Trees present their eighth annual conference at the Kellogg Conference Center, 800 Florida Ave NE, Washington, DC. Presentations will focus on the health and welfare of trees in our increasingly developed landscapes. Learn from some of the country’s leading experts about innovative efforts to plant, protect and preserve trees in urban and suburban settings. Discounts are available to nonprofits, students, and MAC-ISA members. Breakfast, lunch, and a happy hour are included with your registration. The summit runs from 8 am-5 pm. Reserve your spot today!

Thursday, December 12

Snag your spot for “Better Buses, Better Cities”: Whether you’ve already devoured Steven Higashide’s new book (check out our review), or it’s on your holiday reading or gifting list, snag your seat now for this book launch talk, hosted by Smart Growth America, Coalition for Smarter Growth, Island Press and Georgetown University Urban & Regional Planning Program. The lecture begins at 6:30 pm, and is at the Georgetown School of Continuing Studies at 640 Massachusetts Ave NW in Washington, DC. Registration is required and free.

Check out more urbanist events at ggwash.org/calendar. Do you have an event you’d like to see featured in the weekly events post? Submit it here!