A public menorah lighting ceremony celebrating Hanukkah, sponsored by the Chabad Jewish Center of Chattanooga, will be held 5:30 p.m. today at Coolidge Park.
The festivities, which celebrate the Jewish faith's Festival of Lights, will include the lighting of the 10-foot menorah, singing and a latke-eating contest at River Street Deli.
Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield and state Sen. Andy Berke will participate in the ceremony.
"It is a holiday that enriches our lives with the light of tradition," Rabbi Shaul Perlstein, director of the Chabad Jewish Center, said in a news release.
"In ancient times, our ancestors rededicated the temple in Jerusalem with the menorah. Today, we rededicate ourselves to making this world a better and brighter place," he said.
Hanukkah also relates the universal message that ultimately good will prevail over evil, freedom over oppression and light over darkness, he said.
For more information, call the Chabad Jewish Center at 910-9770.