Downtown is beginning to look a lot like Christmas with McMinnville Public Works and Urban Forestry employees placing lights on the tree and decorating light poles earlier this week.
With rain dampening the tree and decoration placement, city employees wanted to get as much work done as they could in between downpours.
“We wanted to get it done when the rain let up somewhat,” Public Works director Bill Brock said Tuesday.
Lights on the tree were placed Tuesday morning. Wrapping lighted strands of garland on light poles as decoration, which is a two-day process, began after the tree’s lights were arranged.
Some community members view the placement of the downtown tree as a kickoff to the Christmas season.
“I’m so happy to see the Christmas tree downtown to kick off the Christmas season,” said Main Street McMinnville executive director Carla King. “When the Christmas tree comes to downtown, for me, that is the official beginning of Christmas.”
Large, multicolored bulbs used on the tree are reminiscent of days gone by. King says it takes her back to when she was a little girl.
“The large, colorful bulbs remind me and many others of our childhood,” she said.
A lighting ceremony for the tree will be held immediately following the city’s Christmas Parade scheduled for Dec. 3 at 2:30 p.m. In recent years, McMinnville Mayor Norman Rone and the grand marshals of the parade gather at the tree and flip the switch.