Wrangell’s tree lighting ceremony is back on, this time with a 30-foot conifer in its traditional place of honor between the Elks Lodge and downtown gas station.
The spruce replaced a stand-in tree of a few sticks, safety cones and a large red ornament ball. The stand-in was well loved while it lasted.
Wrangell Light & Power superintendent Rod Rhoades said his crew enjoys the annual tradition of picking out the town’s tree and there was a window of opportunity on Wednesday morning.
“I told them really this was our only opportunity before we get started on the meter route and so I think they really just redoubled their efforts to try to get it done,” he said.
The crew jumped at the task, felling a tree and carting it through town.
Video taken by Wrangellite Danny St. John shows Wrangell’s 2020 town Christmas tree being uprighted in its tree stand.
The tree lighting ceremony had been canceled last week after the electric crew spent the week battling outages and downed trees during Southeast Alaska’s spat of stormy weather.
The orange safety cones that had decorated what has been dubbed “Wrangell’s Grinch Tree” now ring the official Wrangell 2020 tree.
The Wrangell Chamber of Commerce said the tree lighting will take place at 6 p.m. Friday. It’ll be streamed live on the Chamber of Commerce Facebook page for those who prefer to watch the festivities from a distance.
