The Winter Lighting Ceremony takes place every year on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, a tradition for over 20 years, and it's about bringing some warmth to the community during the coldness of the winter. The ceremony takes place at Nicollet Commons Park, but the lighting happens all over the Heart of the City with over 200,000 mini-lights, 230 streetlight snowflakes, and a 30-foot-tall tree awash with lights. It is sponsored by the Burnsville Community Foundation, who have made it possible through donations from businesses and residents.