Thousands are expected to watch the colorful strings of lights and fireworks illuminate Mount Vernon Place once again on Dec. 4 for the 54th annual Monument Lighting.

Visitors will gather on the square and watch the centuries-old Washington Monument light up, marking the unofficial kickoff to the holiday season in Baltimore.

Musical performances from local groups will start around 5 p.m. and about 30 food vendors and beverage stands will operate throughout the evening.

The Mount Vernon Place Conservancy, a neighborhood nonprofit that organizes the event, said there will be performances from vocalists Amanda Alston and Chelsea Dixon, as well as the TWIGS Jazz Band, all from the Baltimore School for the Arts. Other performers include the Peabody Brass Ensemble, The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids Brass Band, The Emmanuel Choir and Morgan State University Choir.

Allison Bailey, who played Glinda in the hit Broadway musical “Wicked” that is returning to the Hippodrome this year, will also hit the main stage.

A fireworks show will wrap up the event around 8 p.m.

Officials called off the fireworks last year as firefighters worked to control three different blazes across the city that were spreading quickly because of high winds.

The popular Charm City event started decades ago as a gathering of Mount Vernon neighbors. The show and lights now attract thousands of area residents to the central Baltimore neighborhood, and it has come back on the first Thursday of December every year. During COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, the lighting was held virtually.

In past years, organizers have warned visitors to use public transit to get to the event. Many streets will be closed off, and parking will be limited in the area.

The Washington Monument, a 178-foot tall structure built in 1829, is located at the center of a roundabout in the heart of Mount Vernon. It was the first monument dedicated to George Washington.