Fort Worth Kicks Off Holiday Season With Christmas Tree Lighting and Parade
November 20,2022
See full NBC DFW article by Sophia Beausoleil here.
Sunday night the city of Fort Worth held a lighting ceremony for its 65-foot-tall Christmas tree in Sundance Square, followed by the 'Parade of Lights' downtown.
The tree, which Fort Worth claims is the second tallest live Christmas tree in the state, came from 1,289 miles away.
It's the 76th anniversary of the Fort Worth Community Christmas Tree, which was started in 1947 by Amon Carter.
Sunday evening hundreds gathered at Sundance Square and joined in on the countdown to light the tree.
"This means so much to us, we have not taken our kids to do anything like this before, and getting to see Christmas through the eyes of kids is a totally different experience," said Brittany Logue a mother of three.
"I'm here to see the parade of lights," said Curtis Beck, a man with a long white beard, who wore a red sweater and red hat. He joked that he's the younger brother of Santa Claus, due to the striking resemblance.
"All the time [he's asked], 'Santa?' and I look at them and go, 'Have you been good?" joked Beck.
Rain during the ceremony didn't damper spirits, as the cold temperatures had many bundled up with umbrellas.
An hour after the lighting ceremony, the crowds moved and line the streets of downtown for the GM Financial Parade of Lights, a 40th-year tradition.
Stacey Losh, from Sanger, who attended the parade with her sister, mother, nieces, nephews, grandchildren and other family members, sat in the front to get a good view.
"Just great family time, memories, something to look back on when the little ones get older and even when I get older, just family time," said Stacey Losh.
She said it's been several years since they've been to the parade,
"We're excited, especially with COVID, finally being able to do stuff like this again," said Losh who dressed up in a Christmas outfit.
"I felt pretty, good, usually it's after Thanksgiving that I do, but you can't come to a Christmas parade without busting out the Christmas attire," said Losh.
The city said more than 100 illuminated floats, festive performers, holiday decor, live music and hundreds of thousands of sparkling lights made up the parade.