Carleton Place & District Community Band to host annual Christmas concert for Lanark Food Bank

The Carleton Place & District Community Band will once again ring in the holiday season on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, with its Christmas Concert at the Zion-Memorial United Church at 37 Franklin Street.

The annual concert has become a seasonal staple in Carleton Place, with a representative from the band estimating it has been presenting holiday performances in the community since at least 1994. This year, more than 45 musicians will take the stage.

“Practice started in September,” the band told Lanarkist, “but planning and acquiring music started the day after last year’s concert on Dec.1.”

Attendees can expect a mix of classic holiday favourites, audience sing-alongs, and new seasonal arrangements by Peter Archibald. Vocalists April Ferguson and Mike Emberson will also join the ensemble to perform several musical selections.

In addition to spreading holiday cheer, the concert aims to raise awareness about food insecurity to support the broader community during the holiday season. Year after year, the band has consistently chosen the Lanark Food Bank as the recipient of donations collected at the event.

“It’s a great organization that helps those in the community in need,” the band shared. “We’re always happy to support the Lanark Food Bank annually, especially at this time of year.”

The performance will run from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., with admission collected at the door in the form of food or cash donations to the Lanark Food Bank — a long-standing tradition for the concert.