HUNTER DWORACZYK [email protected]
Taylor Parks and Recreation programs coordinator Ian Davis said this year’s tree-lighting ceremony was “the biggest ever.”
“It was great to see our community come together for this unifying event,” he said. “Our goal next year is to make it bigger and better and we welcome feedback from the community on how we can improve next year.”
Held after the Christmas Parade on Main Street Dec. 2, spectators and parade walkers huddled into Heritage Square to see Taylor’s large Christmas tree officially lit for the first time.
Davis said there were over 1,000 attendees, which he said is twice as much as last year.
Organizers served about 300 cups of free hot chocolate to attendees during the event, Davis said. They also provided over 500 arts and crafts tree ornaments for children to decorate and bring home once the tree was lit.
One of Davis’ highlights of the evening was the live music. The Taylor High School Choir began singing carols such as “Joy to The World,” “Jingle Bells,” “Deck The Halls” and “Silent Night” immediately after the tree was lit.
Not Past 11, an 18-piece band, also performed on the park’s stage while people enjoyed the event’s offerings.
“The tree lighting is a unifying event because it is a singular moment when we can all come together and share a joyous moment,” Davis said. “Whether your family has lived in Taylor for generations or your family just moved to Taylor, it was an opportunity for all of us to join together in a truly festive moment.”
According to Davis, it took months of preparation from Taylor Parks and Rec to get everything together in time for the ceremony.
Davis said it was incredibly rewarding to see the event produce a high attendance since event organizers always worry about people not showing up for a multitude of reasons.
“One of the goals of the parks and rec department is to bring folks out to our public parks,” he said. “These parks belong to all of us and we hope the community continues to enjoy all of the events and activities that the parks and rec department puts together for
the community.” Taylor Public Works put the tree up just before Thanksgiving.
Now that it has been lit, the tree’s lights will be on from now until the end of the holiday season.
“We worked with (the public works department) to test the lighting and make sure everything was ready to go for the big moment this past Saturday,” Davis said.
Christmas Parade
Stacey Osborne, city of Taylor communications director, estimated that there were about 40 entries for the Christmas Parade.
The parade route ran from Twelfth Street and Main Street to Third and Main with spectators gathered on the sidewalks of the road.
“I’m sure in the new year we will sit down and assess how we did and what we can improve on,” Osborne said. “We’re always anxious to do that.”
Photo by Hunter Dworaczyk
