DE-LIGHT-FUL
Dec 04, 2009 | 484 views | 0 
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SPARKS — For the 23rd year, a Christmas tree in Victorian Square twinkled to life Friday night as the bright bulbs reflected the wide eyes of watching children.
The cloudy night sky provided cover for almost 200 people who gathered beneath the tree on the corner of Victorian Avenue and 10th Street. For many years, the tree lighting ceremony was held following the annual Sparks Hometowne Christmas Parade. However, this year, the lighting ceremony was held on the night before Saturday’s parade.
Sparks Parks and Recreation department director Stan Sherer said the event was moved in an effort to entice more people to come.
Alicia Hodgen has made the tree lighting a holiday tradition since she was 7 years old. Now, she comes with her children Baylee and Jack, who are 3-year-old twins.
As the crowd counted down to the pulling of the switch to ignite the tree’s lights, Jack’s eyes were fixed on the tree. More than 5,000 multi-colored lights filled the 50-foot tree and brightly colored bulbs hung from its branches.
The tree itself has been a Sparks tradition with a story all its own for more than 20 years.
The tree has been a traditional gift from Sparks’ sister city, Garibaldi, Ore., since 1982. Loggers Terry Freeman and Dave Stein have brought the gift for many years.
“They at first did it with a pickup truck,” Freeman said with a chuckle as he delivered the tree on Nov. 30 and remembered the first tree’s journey to Sparks.
Rolling in on a logger’s truck, this year’s 6,000-pound tree was hoisted into place on Victorian Avenue near 10th Street on Monday under the eye of Stein, Freeman and a handful of Sparks maintenance workers.
The tree’s moment of fame Friday night came with the fanfare of the McQueen High School Choir singing “Jingle Bells” and “Angels We Have Heard on High.”
“I liked the singing best,” Baylee said as she buried her head in her grandmother’s shoulder.
“We will keep bringing them back,” grandmother Brenda Hodgen said. “They have been coming since they were little but really this is the first year they can appreciate it.”
Jack said he was anxious to get home and see the presents under his own tree.
The family will be among the expected 15,000 people to attend the Sparks Hometowne Christmas parade Saturday at 1 p.m. The parade will pass by the now-lit and celebrated Sparks Christmas tree.
The cloudy night sky provided cover for almost 200 people who gathered beneath the tree on the corner of Victorian Avenue and 10th Street. For many years, the tree lighting ceremony was held following the annual Sparks Hometowne Christmas Parade. However, this year, the lighting ceremony was held on the night before Saturday’s parade.
Sparks Parks and Recreation department director Stan Sherer said the event was moved in an effort to entice more people to come.
Alicia Hodgen has made the tree lighting a holiday tradition since she was 7 years old. Now, she comes with her children Baylee and Jack, who are 3-year-old twins.
As the crowd counted down to the pulling of the switch to ignite the tree’s lights, Jack’s eyes were fixed on the tree. More than 5,000 multi-colored lights filled the 50-foot tree and brightly colored bulbs hung from its branches.
The tree itself has been a Sparks tradition with a story all its own for more than 20 years.
The tree has been a traditional gift from Sparks’ sister city, Garibaldi, Ore., since 1982. Loggers Terry Freeman and Dave Stein have brought the gift for many years.
“They at first did it with a pickup truck,” Freeman said with a chuckle as he delivered the tree on Nov. 30 and remembered the first tree’s journey to Sparks.
Rolling in on a logger’s truck, this year’s 6,000-pound tree was hoisted into place on Victorian Avenue near 10th Street on Monday under the eye of Stein, Freeman and a handful of Sparks maintenance workers.
The tree’s moment of fame Friday night came with the fanfare of the McQueen High School Choir singing “Jingle Bells” and “Angels We Have Heard on High.”
“I liked the singing best,” Baylee said as she buried her head in her grandmother’s shoulder.
“We will keep bringing them back,” grandmother Brenda Hodgen said. “They have been coming since they were little but really this is the first year they can appreciate it.”
Jack said he was anxious to get home and see the presents under his own tree.
The family will be among the expected 15,000 people to attend the Sparks Hometowne Christmas parade Saturday at 1 p.m. The parade will pass by the now-lit and celebrated Sparks Christmas tree.
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