Town tree lighting still on

After years of wear and tear, the “candles” on downtown Madison’s Christmas tree no longer shine so brightly.

In fact, not a single one of the more than 1,000 lights adorning the branches of the Main Street tree would light up earlier this week. The last minute discovery prompted officials to make other plans for this weekend’s tree lighting ceremony, which is typically in the park in front of the War Memorial Building each December.

Instead, the tree lighting event will take place in nearby Lawrence Beasley Park – on the northeast corner of Main and Church streets – at the same time, 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. The event is just before the annual town Christmas Parade that goes north on Main Street. (The parade starts at 10 a.m.)

The Beasley Park tree lighting will still feature free hot chocolate and cookies and a community Christmas carol sing-along. Madison Chamber of Commerce Tourism Director Tracey Williams is expected to again hand out song sheets to any folks who don’t know all the words to the carols. But this year a bad cough prevents “Singer Preacher” Dr. Tommy Palmer, pastor of Fairview Christian Church in Hood, from leading the big community sing-along, something he has done for many years.

Years ago, a community representative volunteered use of his bucket truck to string the approximately 35-foot red spruce tree with strands of multi-colored lights, according to Madison County Facilities and Maintenance Department Director Ross Shifflett.

County and town representatives decided against re-stringing the tree with new lights due to the expense of renting a bucket truck, Shifflett said.

Facilities and maintenance department workers examined the two shorter trees on either side of the red spruce but ruled them out as possible replacements since they are “diseased,” Shifflett said.

Earlier this week, county employees obtained an approximately 10-foot Canaan fir tree from Greenscapes Nursery and Garden Shoppe near downtown Madison and placed it in the southwest corner of Beasley Park. Facilities and maintenance department representatives then adorned the tree with new lights. The fir is a live – but cut – tree, so it will have to be removed after the holidays. Plans to plant a new town Christmas tree in Beasley Park Tuesday apparently fell through, but officials have yet to publicly rule out doing so later.

Madison Garden Club members were also preparing for the Dec. 6 celebration earlier this week, spending Tuesday morning stringing lights along the entry arches in Beasley Park and tacking up wreaths near the Arcade museum.

For information about the tree lighting ceremony or the Christmas parade, call the Madison Chamber of Commerce at (540) 948-4455.

(Madison County Eagle Editor Don Richeson contributed to this story.)