As Bangor residents gobble up the rest of their Thanksgiving Day leftovers, Bangor public works crews were hard at work Tuesday morning installing and decorating this year’s holiday tree in West Market Square.
This year’s holiday tree — a 39-foot balsam fir from Bangor — is the latest that Dan Sprague, co-owner of Sprague’s Nursery and Garden Center, has sourced and donated to the city, as he’s done for more than 25 years.
David McElvain, Sprague’s nephew and owner of Hartt’s Electric in Levant, donates his time and equipment to help his uncle harvest, transport and raise the tree, and Frazier Signal Technologies donates its time and equipment to help string the lights around the tree.
The tree was installed and decorated just in time for the Bangor Rotary Club’s annual Festival of Lights parade on Saturday. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Create Hope in the World.”
The parade will begin at 4:30 p.m. on Exchange Street and move down Harlow Street, Central Street and Main Street, and pass Davenport Park. Finally, Mr. and Mrs. Claus will ride in a horse-drawn carriage to West Market Square for the tree lighting ceremony.
“The Holiday Tree and annual Festival of Lights parade are treasured Bangor traditions,” Bangor City Council Chair Cara Pelletier wrote in a statement. “I look forward to this every year and hope you will all join me this Saturday. Thank you to everyone who makes this such a wonderful community event right here in Bangor, Maine.”
