“We’re just trying to work around construction ramps,” she said.
“But that’s not going to stop us.”
About a dozen volunteers and staff members from the city’s Public Works Department will start decorating the tree early next week with about 10,000 tiny light bulbs and 5,000 ornaments.
City employees standing up the tree in Perkins plaza Thursday joked that, in light of the increased tree size, they were going to need some more decorations.
“We’re going to need all of Monday and all Tuesday to do this,” Nolan said.
In addition to the tree, a gigantic white canopy, which will be illuminated at night, is being stretched across the plaza, between the top of the City Hall parking structure and the east side of the Perkins building.
For the upcoming tree-lighting ceremony, rows of chairs will be placed under the canopy for audience seating.
Students from R.D. White Elementary School and Hoover High School will be on hand to provide musical entertainment at the ceremony and hot chocolate will be served.
At last year’s ceremony, the audience broke into applause at the flip of a switch, when all 10,000 bulbs were illuminated. Then-mayor Dave Weaver delivered a speech about the holiday season before Santa Claus appeared to the delight of local children.
The city will hold its annual tree-lighting ceremony at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
