Downtown Christmas tree ready for holiday season

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The holiday season is officially underway in downtown Great Falls as the tree was placed Nov. 20 in front of the Civic Center.

The Downtown Great Falls Association, in partnership with the city and multiple local businesses, has coordinated the tree each year since taking it over in 2016 when the city determined it could no longer carry the expense with taxpayer funds.

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Santa will light the tree during the 30th Parade of Lights on Nov. 30 after holiday inspired floats created by locals make their way down Central Avenue.

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The following week, downtown hosts the 41st Christmas Stroll, which includes the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics. This year’s theme is holiday luau and you’ll find some new festivities throughout the night of Dec. 6 fitting of a holiday in the tropics.

The downtown tree is donated every year and is a tree that would otherwise be cut down and discarded, according to DGFA.

This year’s tree came from the Fox Farm area by Bruce Foss, who has dedicated the tree to his parents, Earl and Margaret Foss.

Cutting and transporting of the tree continues to be donated and the city provides crews to string lights and foots the bill to light the tree, according to DGFA.

The tree crew includes DGFA, Great Falls Park and Recreation, Maxim Crane, Johnson Madison Lumber, Guy Tabacco Construction, AT Klemens, Bench Industries, NorthWestern Energy, Spectrum and the Great Falls Police Department.

A member of the DGFA’s Christmas Stroll committee coordinates the tree crew every year and when the city stopped funding the tree in 2016, he reached out to friends and the local business community to save the tree.

He spoke with City Manager Greg Doyon who suggested having a specific organization to take the task of managing the annual Christmas tree.

That’s when DGFA took over the Christmas tree that sits in front of the Civic Center annually.

The DGFA created a Christmas fund to cover costs of the tree and the Christmas Stroll in the event that those donated resources aren’t available in the future.