Santa Barbara’s Specially Picked Holiday Tree Has Arrived to Illuminate State Street
John Palminteri
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – A symbol of the holiday season has arrived in Santa Barbara in the form of a 39-foot White Fir tree.
State Street was closed off for the special event, with city crews using chain saws to trim up some limbs off the 30-year-old tree.
Then the Big Red Crane company gave it a lift into a special metal sleeve in a delicate operation with City of Santa Barbara crews.
It will be covered with lights and have a special new top on it this year where it stands near the Arlington Theatre on Victoria Street.
The tree has been sponsored by a local company, Consumer Fire Products since 2014.
It was grown in a sustainable farm in Oregon.
Irene Rhodes, the CEO of Consumer Fire Products, says, “for every tree they cut, they plant ten more on their farm, so they bring in a helicopter, and they cut them and load them with the helicopter over the back of the truck and bring them down. And here we are, our company is very much interested in getting back to Santa Barbara.” The Rhodes family also donates annually to the Unity Shoppe fundraising efforts to help families in need.
Chief of Staff at Consumer Fire Products Kristin Rhodes said she has seen the tree come in with her family’s donation for the last 11 years. It’s a special time each year.
“The tree lighting ceremony, the fact that, even though we don’t do the parade as of yet anymore, we can still have people come down here”. She says families gather with friends and many pictures will be taken that will show the tree to others via social media.
The Santa Barbara Downtown Improvement Association says the tree will be lit up in a special ceremony on Friday evening, December 5th at 6 p.m.
That night, the street will be closed off and there will be live performances, choirs, dancers and DJ Darla Bea.
Children will make holiday wreaths from some of the tree limbs that were cut off to make sure the tree fit into its spot securely through the holidays.
For more information go to: Santa Barbara Downtown Improvement Association
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