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CINCINNATI, OH (WLWT) — Cincinnati’s Christmas tree the greatest glow-up of 2020.
It started out raggedy and sparse. But a team of experts has helped shape Cincinnati’s Fountain Square Christmas tree into a voluptuous beauty.
A 65-foot Norway Spruce arrived at Fountain Square this weekend, the focal point of the holiday season across the city.
But the tree – fresh off of a 200-plus mile drive from Wadsworth, Ohio – arrived tired and worn down.
As the tree was hoisted into place on the southwest corner of the square, many marveled at its spaced-out branches and skimpy form.
“The downtown Cincinnati Christmas tree could not be more on-brand for 2020 if it tried,” one Twitter user wrote with a picture of the tree.
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Fountain Square staff members wrote: “2020 has been a rough year for all of us, including our tree. Our team is hard at work making this 65’ Norway Spruce beautiful for the holiday season.”
So, what caused the tree to look a bit Charlie Brown-ish? Officials with the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) tell us it’s normal for the tree to look a bit droopy upon arrival.
“Basically, only a few guys who are trained to climb in the tree, cut the ropes and place the branches were available this weekend, and not enough of them to get the job done. They are working slowly but surely to get the tree looking beautiful by the weekend. It’s about the same process as usual, but we typically have it done in a day or two instead of five to six days,” said Emily Stowe, with 3CDC.
True to Stowe’s word, the transformation happened relatively quickly on Monday, with a team of experts “fluffing” the tree and spacing out its branches appropriately.
By day’s end, the tree began to look regal again – much more on par with a Christmas tree.
But there’s still work to be done.
Over the next few days, the tree will be decorated with stands of lights and capped with a five-foot-tall red Macy’s star.
The tree will be lit during a televised WLWT special on Nov. 27.
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