There were cheers and merriment Thursday evening as Hoboken held its Christmas tree lighting.

The event featured Elvis the Elf, a live performance by the Hoboken Youth and Goldenrod Chorale and even Santa Claus himself.

"This is a chance for the community to come together, for young children to be on stage to sing songs, to actually see Santa Claus coming from the North Pole and to light up our Christmas tree which is really about community,” says Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla. “It’s about people coming together, thinking about our families.”

The Hoboken Police Department was also on-site to collect new and unwrapped toys for families in need.