Grand Rapids Christmas Tree is Up!

Evette Pittman, Manager of Special Events for the City of Grand Rapids joins us live from the installation of the Grand Rapids Christmas Tree!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, let us get to some local breaking news here
on West Michigan's Morning News. We've mentioned before in the
program that at this very early hour not a lot
of exciting action is happening, but downtown Grand Rapids, we
can see the crane outside our window. They just put
in place the Grand Rapids Christmas tree. Go to the

(00:22):
special events manager for the City of Grand Rapids on
the scene of at Pittman. Thank you so much for
joining us today.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Oh, thank you for having me.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
We hauled Adam Morocho out of the warm producer's booth.
You mentioned though before the segment started that as far
as setting Christmas trees up, it's not bad down there.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
Absolutely, this is the best weather we've ever had with
a tree in stall and it is definitely beginning to
look and feel and smell like Christmas.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
Oh yeah, So tell us a little bit about what
do we know about that tree that's right in front
of you.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
So the tree this year is from what Tree Farm,
which is in Lake Pities. It travels about an our
forty five two hours to get here. It's thirty two
years old. It's a calm color spur and it's about
thirty eight feet tall.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
Well, so, how many wedges did you have to put
in the hole to get it to stand upright?

Speaker 2 (01:21):
Is there? I'm watching them right now, and I would
say there's at least two dozen wedges in there to
hold that tree up.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
Are there more than one person on their belly trying
to spin it around to get them the bushy side?
Where does the bushy side have to face is toward
the skating rink.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yes, we try to put the fuller side towards the
skating rink. But this year this tree had no other
tree surrounding it, so the entire tree is really full.
It's just such a beautiful tree.

Speaker 3 (01:52):
And if this starts a bigger process that's coming up
next weekend, give us all the details with a Christmas
tree lighting downtown Absolute.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
We're going to start with the Santa Claus Parade around
i PM on Saturday, November twenty seconds, and then they
will bring Santa over here to Rosa Park Circle where
we will light the tree at six forty five pm.
So it'll be upwards of fifteen thousand led lights on
the tree when all of a sudden done, and then

(02:21):
it will kick off the holiday season for the city
of Grand Rapid and.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
That means that the big guy will be there right too.
You've got the thumbs up from Santa.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
Absolutely, he will be here. There will be three photos
with Santa. Salvation Army will be here with their canteen
with free hot cocoa Country Fresh. We'll have ice cream
treats because we are Michiganers and we are hardy, so
we eat ice cream outside in the cold.

Speaker 1 (02:49):
Absolutely, got that right, event, So talk to us about
that process because we as families all do this on
a much smaller scale. But how does an entire city
with an enormous Christmas tree? Do you test the lights
from last year? Do you just buy all new ones?

Speaker 2 (03:06):
So we actually keep the lights. The lights last about
nive years. We work with a company called Shine Lighting,
and they store the light for us. They actually check
each ball a little bit like Christmas vacation to make
sure that the lights are prepared and ready. So they're
doing that right now and they will spend about two

(03:27):
or three days lighting the tree of that.

Speaker 3 (03:30):
Do you guys go up to Lake City and like
look at trees? I mean share with us that experience.
I mean, how does a tree get selected by you
to be the grand Appi's Christmas tree.

Speaker 2 (03:40):
Absolutely so part of my team as well as part
of the Rock for Construction team. Usually in late spring
early summer, will go up to the tree farm and
they literally walk the tree farm looking at every tree
at the least thirty eight feet tall, and they choose
the tree. They send me pictures, they send me videos,
and this year, every single one of us one hundred

(04:02):
percent agreed that this was the tree.

Speaker 1 (04:05):
Oh wow, it's so over. I just picture you and
Mayo le Grand and Manager Washington in a packed station
wagon going up there with a steamed up windows. So
but there's a team and you're involved. That's really cool.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
Yeah, it's absolutely, really fun. And I love that so
many folks can tell their children, tell their grandchildren, I
chose this tree, and this is the tree that breathes
our community together to celebrate the holidays.

Speaker 3 (04:32):
Well, and unlike Clark w. Griswold, you don't have to
worry about it being full once you cut the ties.
But watch out for those squirrels. Oh come on, I mean,
I'm just.

Speaker 2 (04:39):
Saying, well, they just freshly cut this tree last Friday,
so I'm hopeful that there's no squirrels, no mice.

Speaker 1 (04:48):
Stupping in the tree live from Rosa Park Circle right
outside our window. Special events manager for the City of
Grand Rapids, always delightful a Vet Pittman. Thank you for
your time this morning.

Speaker 2 (04:58):
Thank you so much. We appreciate you just