55-foot Christmas tree to be delivered to Monument Square Thursday

Wait, but I just finished eating the last of my kids’ Halloween candy (If they ask, it just got “lost,” OK?) and I haven’t even figured out who in the extended family is in charge of the Thanksgiving turkey.

A 55-foot-tall Blue Spruce waits for no one.

The Portland Downtown District announced today the big Christmas tree is being dropped off at Monument Square on Thursday morning.

All together now: Ach Tannenbaum, ach Tannenbaum, du bist ein edler Zweig! Du grünest uns den Winter, die liebe Sommerzeit.

Here’s the district’s announcement, complete with the tree’s transportation route and when the lighting is planned:

Thursday, Nov. 17 at approximately 10 a.m., the tree that signals the start of the holiday season in Portland arrives in Monument Square.

The beautiful 55-foot Colorado Blue Spruce was donated by Lori and Allen Huff of 89 Evans St., South Portland. The owners are delighted that their tree was chosen to grace Monument square in downtown Portland for this longstanding holiday tradition.

“After an exhaustive search of Greater Portland, we found by far the best tree in South Portland. It will look beautiful when adorned with lights in Monument Square” says Jeff Tarling, City Arborist.

The tree will be lit with over 1,500 LED lights, donated by Efficiency Maine during the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 25 at 5:30 p.m. Produced by Portland’s Downtown District (PDD), the festive night includes entertainment by Rick Charette and the Bubblegum Band and the Maine State Ballet. A Make-A-Wish child will light the tree this year with help from a very special guest! The tree will be surrounded by a white picket fence making it the perfect place for downtown holiday photographs.

Crews from the Forestry Section of Portland Department of Public Services will prepare the tree for transportation to Monument Square at 9 a.m. from 89 Evans St. Keely Crane Services and Shaw Brothers Construction have donated staff, crane and transportation services to make this project possible.

At 9:30 a.m., the tree will begin its trip down Broadway and for the first time come into Portland across the Casco Bay bridge, through Commercial Street and up Franklin Street, entering downtown via Congress Street and arriving at its new home in Monument Square around 10:30 a.m.

Seth Koenig

About Seth Koenig

Seth has nearly a decade of professional journalism experience and writes about the greater Portland region.