Sing to the Ballston Singing Tree

Every December, Ballston’s Welburn Square becomes the site of one of Arlington’s most genuinely delightful holiday experiences: the Singing Tree. This isn’t your standard Christmas tree — it’s a custom-designed, sound-responsive lighting installation featuring 1,200 lights on 12 strands that interpret audio input from the environment and translate it into color and light patterns across the branches. When someone sings or plays music nearby, the tree responds and comes alive with light. It rewards participation, encourages spontaneous caroling from strangers, and produces the kind of unrepeatable moments that make holiday traditions stick.

The tree is paired each year with the Singing Tree Market, a one-day holiday pop-up in early December featuring local makers, artisan vendors, complimentary hot cocoa and spiced cider, and a live performance by the Arlington Children’s Chorus whose singing — naturally — activates the tree in real time. The tree typically remains on display in Welburn Square throughout the entire month of December, open to visitors at any hour. The installation was created by Canadian software developer Limbic Media specifically for Ballston, and the Ballston BID has committed to making it an annual program. Keep an eye on ballstonbid.org each fall for the market date and the tree lighting ceremony schedule.