Detroit News
Snow may not be in the forecast until next week and Thanksgiving is still five days away, but Christmas was in the air Friday at Campus Martius Park.
Hundreds gathered for the unofficial start of the holiday season: Santa's lighting of the city's Holiday Tree.
The sixth annual event started at 5 p.m. Friday, culminating in the lighting of the tree, which stands 55 feet tall atop the Woodward Fountain in the center of Campus Martius Park.
Hundreds cheered when Santa Claus lit the tree at exactly 8 p.m. Seconds later, the park's ice skating rink was crowded with skaters, some of whom had waited in line for hours.
Mary Lemuel, 44, of Lincoln Park came to watch the tree lighting with her family.
"You look around at this atmosphere and it gives you hope for the city," Lemuel said. "It's nice to have events like this you can come to in Detroit."
The city's official Holiday Tree weighs about 16,000 pounds, has a 38-foot branch span and was decorated with more than 16,000 lights on more than three miles of wire.
"After the tree-lighting ceremony each year, we open the rink for skating," said Christine Domananski, assistant manager of the ice-skating rink at Campus Martius Park. "We always try to do this the week before the Thanksgiving parade. It's a new Detroit tradition."
Also Friday, the state's 63-foot official Christmas tree was lit during Lansing's Silver Bells in the City celebration.
Hundreds gathered for the unofficial start of the holiday season: Santa's lighting of the city's Holiday Tree.
The sixth annual event started at 5 p.m. Friday, culminating in the lighting of the tree, which stands 55 feet tall atop the Woodward Fountain in the center of Campus Martius Park.
Hundreds cheered when Santa Claus lit the tree at exactly 8 p.m. Seconds later, the park's ice skating rink was crowded with skaters, some of whom had waited in line for hours.
Mary Lemuel, 44, of Lincoln Park came to watch the tree lighting with her family.
"You look around at this atmosphere and it gives you hope for the city," Lemuel said. "It's nice to have events like this you can come to in Detroit."
The city's official Holiday Tree weighs about 16,000 pounds, has a 38-foot branch span and was decorated with more than 16,000 lights on more than three miles of wire.
"After the tree-lighting ceremony each year, we open the rink for skating," said Christine Domananski, assistant manager of the ice-skating rink at Campus Martius Park. "We always try to do this the week before the Thanksgiving parade. It's a new Detroit tradition."
Also Friday, the state's 63-foot official Christmas tree was lit during Lansing's Silver Bells in the City celebration.
