The city on Sunday officially selected this year’s Christmas tree to be showcased in Chicago’s Daley Plaza.
The 57-foot Colorado blue spruce tree from South Holland, Ill. will be lit at the 100th Anniversary of Chicago’s Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Nov. 26, officials said.
It's an annual tradition that started when the first municipal Christmas tree was lit on Dec. 24, 1913, in Grant Park, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events said.
“Each year Chicagoans gather for the annual tree lighting ceremony, just as they did 100 years ago,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. “Gathering with family and friends during the holidays is a timeless tradition. I hope you will join me on Daley Plaza for this very special celebration.”
This year's selected tree was submitted by the Moore Family, who will join Mayor Rahm Emanuel and performers like Darlene Love to light the tree later this month.
Chicago's official tree has been donated by a single family since 2009. Last year's 64-foot Colorado spruce came from the Theiszmann family's front yard in Prospect Heights.
“This is truly a blessing,” said Terri Moore.
The lighting program includes the Joffrey Academy of Dance performing an excerpt from The Nutcracker, and Broadway in Chicago’s Elf the Musical and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer singing holiday songs.
The program and ceremony will be emceed by NBC's Lester and Stefan Holt.
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The tree is scheduled to be cut down Thursday and will be delivered to Daley Plaza at 7 p.m. Friday.
The lit tree will remain on display through Jan. 9, 2014.
