By Karina Martinez-CarterThe Daily Northwestern

As Santa Claus pulled up to Fountain Square in downtown Evanston last week, waving from his place atop a fire engine next to Mayor Lorraine H. Morton, children gathered in the square jumped up and down, smiling, screeching and pointing.

Santa and Morton had arrived for the city’s tree lighting ceremony on Nov. 21, an annual event coordinated by EvMark, a downtown marketing organization.

Ten-year-old Julia Simon and her mother, Audrey, stood waiting quietly, watching as Morton approached the Christmas tree to flip the switch and light the strings of criss-crossing colored lights that covered the giant pine tree.

“It’s really a very joyous night,” Morton said to the audience, which ranged from young children to the elderly. “It’s so wonderful to see so many people here. I think this is the biggest crowd we’ve had.”

And with that, the crowd counted to three and Morton illuminated the lights.

Prior to the tree lighting, children from Evanston’s Music Institute of Chicago, serenaded the audience with holiday tunes, as some attendees sang along with the choir, while others took pictures and listened.

Sandra Levin, called “Scribbles,” wore a velvet elf costume complete with bells and pointed shoes and circulated through the crowd, passing out candy canes to the children.