Evansville sets up yearly Christmas tree

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - Evansville is already showing early signs of the holiday season after the city set up this year’s Christmas tree in front of the Civic Center.

There’s a pine tree on the front lawn of an Evansville home which used to have two other pine trees standing next to it, one on either side. One was removed Friday morning to become this year’s Christmas tree, the other was removed a year ago for the same reason.

Downtown Evansville is starting to show early signs of holiday cheer with the arrival of this year’s Christmas tree. This year’s tree is a 22-foot-tall Norway Spruce.

Allison Hamilton, who donated the tree, did so for the second year in a row, and says there are benefits to clearing some space on her front lawn.

“Now you get to see my house a little bit more, so I enjoy it,” said Hamilton. “And like I said it’s kind of for free, so sure, take it. I was planning on cutting it anyways last year so might as well donate to a good cause.”

The work to put the tree in its new home was done by Sterling Industrial, the same group to bring the tree in for the last 30 years. They lifted the tree out with a crane, loaded it on a truck, and carried it to its new home with a police escort.

The crane operator says they look forward to it each year and make an event of it.

“It’s just a lot of fun getting together, and we go have breakfast every year after it,” said Sterling Industrial Crane Operator Jerry Hatfield.

Allison says she enjoys the bragging rights of having donated the city’s Christmas tree, twice, but she doesn’t think a three-peat is in the works.

“I don’t think it’s very likely, the rest of my pine trees are kind of sparse, so somebody else might have to step up to the plate next year,” said Hamilton.

Evansville officials plan to start decorating the tree next week, with a tree lighting ceremony on November 17th.

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