The Edgartown lighthouse was dressed in holiday style Friday as Christmas in Edgartown festivities got underway with the annual lighthouse lighting. Christmas lights adorning the outer harbor beacon are just one of many signs of the season in Edgartown this weekend.

Crowds gathered at the Harbor View Hotel for music and refreshments Friday evening, and to watch the lighthouse Christmas lights come on, brighting the dark late fall night

Christmas in Edgartown festivities, put on by the Edgartown board of trade, have been underway all week. On Saturday, the main event is the annual Christmas parade down Main Street. The parade starts at 11 a.m., count on Santa to make an appearance. Come 4 p.m., there will be caroling and a tree lighting at the village green.

Christmas isn’t Christmas without carols; the Minnesingers present an encore of their Christmas concert at 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Old Whaling Church. A $15 fee benefits the Minnesingers and the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust.

Carols take a nautical turn as Mark Alan Lovewell presents “Christmas at Sea” at noon on Saturday at the Old Whaling Church; historian Matthew Stackpole will also be on hand. $5 adults, seniors free and children free with an adult ticket. The concert benefits the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust.

Catch A Christmas Story at 4 p.m. on Saturday at Edgartown Cinema; free admission with a donation to the Island Food Pantry. The same applies for Sunday’s 4 p.m. showing of Frozen.

Santa makes the rounds this weekend (isn’t he supposed to be busy in the North Pole?). Visit the jolly round elf at the Kelley House (proceeds go to Rising Tide) from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday or at Edgartown Fire Museum from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

The teddy bears are accepting visitors at the Teddy Bear Suite at the Harbor View's Captain Rowley Cottage all weekend.

Throughout Edgartown, businesses are offering special promotions and giveaways. On Saturday, you can also shop for a cause: items by local artisans will be for sale at the Handmade from the Heart sale at the Dr. Daniel Fisher House, with proceeds going to MV Hospice. Over at St. Andrew’s Parish, the 23rd annual Elves Faire offers crafts and snacks to benefit Plum Hill Preschool. The 22nd annual Holiday Arts Show at Edgartown School benefits the Edgartown School eighth graders.

One of a kind jewelry is for sale at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum jewelry jingle from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday. From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., children are invited to come to the museum to make Christmas cards. The Edgartown Library hosts an open house with children’s ornament making and a book sale from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

For a trip out of town, head to Cape Pogue for “sleigh rides” across the sand. The rides are weather dependent and take place Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Chowder is always welcome on a cold December day; chowder for a cause is even better. The annual Great Chowder Contest will take place in the minipark on Main Street from 12 to 4 p.m. on Saturday. There is an $8 entry fee with proceeds going to the Red Stocking Fund.

On Sunday, have breakfast with Santa at The Wharf. An entry fee benefits the Jim Lambert Memorial Scholarship Fund. The Elf on the Shelf will be on the loose Sunday at Edgartown businesses; kids can pick up a passport at Backwater Trading Company and look for the elf at various businesses from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For a complete list of Christmas in Edgartown activities, visit edgartownboardotrade.com.