Four gallons of hot chocolate and a visitor who arrived in a fire engine instead of a sleigh helped people enjoying the Christmas tree lighting in Dublin on Sunday battle the cold.

As dusk fell, families gathered in the Yankee Magazine parking lot to sing Christmas carols and nibble on candy provided by the Dublin General Store and Maria Finnegan.

“It’s such a great thing that happened here,” said Finnegan, who organized the distribution of the treats and provided the cocoa.

Finnegan praised Susan Peters of the Select Board for her help in organizing the event, which included printed programs featuring tunes of the season.

“It’s a testament to how a small town can work together,” said Finnegan, whose son Jude updated the promotional signs for this year’s event.

As the sun set, people sang Christmas carols and ate various cookies. The approaching darkness led to a New Year’s Eve-like countdown to lighting. At 4:30 p.m., hundreds of lights illuminated the space between Yankee and the fire station.

This was far from Kylie Geffen’s first tree lighting in Dublin.

“It’s a family tradition,” she said as her children Harper, 6, and James, 10 months, admired the tree. “I grew up here and we always did this with my parents.”

On Nov. 27, City Manager Kate Fuller noted Dublin Fire Department’s efforts to make the event possible. Shortly after the tree was lit, one of the department’s trucks rolled up and a man with a white beard and a suit that matched the truck got out.

Santa Claus greeted all comers and it was clear to see him wandering away from the treat table.

There were many dogs in attendance, and Katherine and Ted Gekas’ dog, Kiffle – pronounced “ky-flea” – was more interested in others on four legs than Santa Claus. The dropping temperature prompted Katherine to explain her dog’s name.

“It’s named after a warm Hungarian pastry – that would feel pretty good right now,” she said.