Syracuse, N.Y. — Snowflakes filled the sky Friday night as thousands of people gathered in Clinton Square for the city’s annual Christmas tree lighting.
Those in attendance got to see Santa and Mrs. Claus do a lap around the ice rink in an SUV, and a giant skating penguin. A choir from Onondaga Hill Middle School also performed during the ceremony.
The festivities, which included live Christmas music from the Syracuse-based Brownskin Band, concluded with Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens leading a countdown to light the 42-foot Christmas tree.
Families also gathered for photos in front of the Christmas tree, which was wrapped in multicolored lights and had a giant white star on top.
For many, like Michael Zachery and his wife Bianca, coming to Clinton Square for the tree lighting is a family tradition.
“We have been coming out here for the tree lighting since my oldest was little,” said Michael Zachary, a Syracuse native with six children.
For the family of longtime Syracuse Parks Department employee Bill Winslow Sr., who died of Covid-19 last December, having the in-person tree lighting ceremony return was another opportunity to remember and honor their loved one. Last year’s in-person tree lighting was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Before the city switched to a fake Christmas tree in 2019, Winslow was responsible for picking out the tree, and getting it set up and decorated in Clinton Square each year, his family said. Winslow worked for the city for over 35 years, they said.
“It’s nice to see everyone here,” said Chris Bell, Winslow’s daughter. “It makes me feel like everything is getting back to normal.”
According to Post-Standard archives, the city’s tree-lighting ceremony dates back at least to 1914, when a Parks Department crew delivered a 40-foot tree by sleigh to the plaza now known as Columbus Circle.
Temperatures in Syracuse dropped into the low 30s Friday night, with a wind chill in the low 20s, according to the National Weather Service. The cold did not stop Angelo Greco, of Solvay, and her daughter from attending the tree lighting.
“My daughter hasn’t been in a couple years,” Greco said. “The cold was not a factor for us.”
A video of the tree lighting will be available beginning Dec. 8 at SyracuseTreeLighting.com.
“After everything our community experienced this past year, we are thrilled to be returning to an in-person ‘Home for the Holidays’ celebration that embodies the true holiday spirit of Syracuse and all that we represent here in our great city,” Walsh said.
Staff writer James McClendon covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? Reach him at 914-204-2815 or jmcclendon@syracuse.com.