By Elijah Mangum
On Assignment

The Jackson Christmas Tree lighting kickoffed the second annual Capital City Lights at City Hall on Friday.

Capital City Lights was a community collective of several organizations across the city. The event’s biggest attraction is the Mississippi Department of Archives and History’s Christmas by Candlelight Tour.

At the Governor’s Mansion, guests could view this year’s Christmas decorations, ride a trackless train and meet Santa Claus.

“The crowning achievement of my term as Santa is being Santa for the Governor, the First Lady, and you, the people of Mississippi,” said Santa Claus performer, Alex “Buddy” Cooper.

At the State Capitol, there were decorations, the Office of Governor Tate Reeves, the Office of Speaker of the House Philip Gunn and both chambers of the legislature to view.

There were more decorations, faux snow, and band performances at the Old Capitol Museum. Next door, The Two Museums held choir performances, model trains and crafts.

“What we have here at the Two Mississippi Museums are model trains and Possum Ridge which is an amazing town that is created and is in Mississippi. Lucky has created that,” said Pamela Junior, Director of the Two Mississippi Museums. “Not only that, we will also have arts and crafts for children and there will be a shuttle bus that goes on from 4:00-8:00 that can take people not only to our sites here, but the sites across the City of Jackson that are participating downtown.”

There were also decorations, food trucks, music and children’s activities at the Museum of Art.