Norwich - The city's yearlong 350th celebration will get its final stage in the coming month as the main theme of the city's annual Winter Festival.

It will start Friday when the Winter Festival Committee unveils its latest gift of lights to the city at the 18th annual Light Up City Hall event to kick off the festival. When Santa Claus leads the hundreds of attendees in the 6 p.m. countdown to turn on the lights, a new display will shine prominently above the main stairs at City Hall.

"Norwich 1659-2009," a replica of the light display that hung from City Hall in 1909 for the city's 250th celebration, will become a permanent Winter Festival fixture, committee Chairwoman Kathy Relyea said, with the current year number changing each year.

The Light Up City Hall event, which begins at 4:30 p.m. with horse-drawn wagon rides through downtown and music and entertainment at City Hall plaza, will feature several new attractions, as well as annual mainstay performers. The hosts of the ceremony will be Rebecca Morse Whitten and Glenn O'Brien, the morning show personalities on WBMW-106.5 FM. The station will broadcast live from the event.

"Norwich Celebrates 350th Anniversary" will be the main theme throughout the festival, including the marquee event, the Dec. 6 annual Winter Festival Parade.

"Three parades in one year," Relyea said, noting that the Winter Festival Committee sponsored the 350th anniversary parade in July, along with last December's parade and this year's event.

This year's parade on Dec. 6 steps off from Chelsea Parade at 1 p.m. and might have a familiar look to those who attended the July 5 parade, as many participating groups decided to dress up their Norwich history floats with holiday décor, Relyea said. Of course, some groups decided to build entirely new floats for the winter version.

Once again, the Polish American String Band, a troupe of Philadelphia Mummers, will march in the Norwich parade. The band was here for the 350th parade, and "they had such a good time," Relyea said.

As parade participants put the finishing touches on their floats and the bands tune up their instruments, Norwich Free Academy has a plan to give them a break from the cold. The NFA Music Program will host its annual pancake breakfast, bake sale and basket raffle Dec. 6 from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for students, senior citizens and children.

Other events will fill out the Winter Festival schedule, including the house decorating contest, a more recent business storefront version of the contest sponsored by the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce and the Norwich Arts Council's Small Holiday Treasures Show Dec. 4 from 6 to 10 p.m.