Children of all ages can welcome Santa Claus and the Christmas season Monday during the lighting of the Christmas tree in downtown DeKalb.

The evergreen tree used by the city is located in the parking lot of Sawyer Auto Imports, 460 E. Lincoln Hwy., will be lit between 6:30 and 7 p.m. said Warren Lovers, a DeKalb Kiwanis Club member.

The DeKalb Fire Department will hang the lights on the tree. Reuben Nelson, DeKalb acting assistant fire chief, said it takes four groups of three firefighters working in four-hour shifts to hang the lights.

While Nelson said he was not sure how many lights it takes to cover the tree, he said the fire department stores the lights in five, 20-gallon garbage cans.

Before the tree is lit, school children from Chesebro, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Littlejohn elementary schools will help decorate the tree with Christmas ornaments they made in class, Lovers said. DeKalb Kiwanis Club members then hang the ornaments which takes about 30 minutes, he said.

After the tree is lit, Santa Claus will pass out candy to the children. Cookies and hot chocolate will be served at the Senior Citizen Center, 330 Grove St., Lovers said.