A 100 Year Tradition ~ City of Chicago Christmas Tree
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Daley Plaza has been transformed into a winter wonderland!
The City of Chicago and is kicking off the start of the holiday season with the 100th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, Tuesday, November 26, 2013 beginning at 5 p.m. with a music program with holiday performances and the tree will be lit at 6 p.m. This is a special year as Chicago celebrates the 100th anniversary of the City of Chicago’s first municipal Christmas tree that was lit on December 24, 1913 in Grant Park. The tree will be decorated with multi-colored lights and ornaments.
The hour-long music program will also feature The Trainees from the Joffrey Academy of Dance, official school of The Joffrey Ballet, performing an excerpt from the holiday classic The Nutcracker. Other performances include songs from Broadway in Chicago’s Elf the Musical and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical The program and ceremony will be emceed by father-and-son journalists Lester Holt, host of Dateline NBC and weekend anchor for Today and NBC Nightly News, and Stefan Holt, Anchor, Mornings, NBC 5 Chicago.
About the tree: Chicago has a special tradition. Each year residents of the greater Chicagoland community compete to have their tree represent the city during the season. This year’s holiday beacon is a 57-foot Colorado blue spruce donated by the Moore family of South Holland, IL. The Moore’s will be on hand to assist Mayor Emanuel in the lighting ceremony.
The City of Chicago Christmas Tree is the centerpiece of the Christkindlmarket. Inspired by the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, Germany, which began in 1545, the Christkindlmarket Chicago brings a cherished German and European tradition with international flair and local charm to Chicago. Chicago's largest open-air Christmas festival, Christkindlmarket Chicago has grown to become one of the most popular winter attractions in the heart of the city. http://www.christkindlmarket.com/en/