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Tree lighting draws enthusiastic crowd

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People gather round the tree as the countdown ends and the more than 100,000 lights are turned on for the first time during the Grande Illumination & Dayton Children's Parade Spectacular in Lights which begins the 39th Annual Dayton Holiday Festival in Courthouse Square in downtown Dayton, Tuesday, November 25, 2011.

Contributed photo by Peter Wine People gather round the tree as the countdown ends and the more than 100,000 lights are turned on for the first time during the Grande Illumination & Dayton Children's Parade Spectacular in Lights which begins the 39th Annual Dayton Holiday Festival in Courthouse Square in downtown Dayton, Tuesday, November 25, 2011.

Children reveal wish lists; Occupy activists hand out candy canes.

By Steve Bennish, Staff Writer Updated 1:40 AM Saturday, November 26, 2011

DAYTON — Thousands packed Courthouse Square and lined Main Street on Friday night for the 39th annual Grande Illumination tree lighting ceremony and Children’s Parade.

The tree lighting countdown came shortly after 7:45 p.m. The two-story tree, decorated with 50,000 colored lights, lit up the square as the crowd cheered.

Long lines wound from carnival rides and the horse-drawn wagon. Illuminated magic wands swept the air and children dialed the North Pole to make special requests of Santa’s workshop.

Puppies and Play Stations topped the list of desired presents, said Snowflake the Elf, speaking via telephone at the Time Warner Cable’s ‘Dial-an-Elf’ phone bank at Kettering Tower’s Holiday Village.

Brianna Hastings, 11, of Dayton, put in for a bike, a cell phone and a Baby Alive doll. The faraway but all-seeing Elf noted she was wearing a pink hair ribbon — to Brianna’s amazement.

Shamaria Woodard Smith, 9, would be happy with an MP3 player, a Hello Kitty camcorder and a new Chevy Tahoe for her mom, Nichole.

Nearby, Emily Mollett, 8, of Dayton, decorated a mask with feathers and sparkling tape at a crafts table. Her Christmas present? She has a few in mind, including a glass chess set.

A half-dozen Occupy Dayton activists showed up at the square holding protest sign and cheerfully handing out candy canes. The group moved its camp from the square on Sunday and is set up a block away in Dave Hall Plaza.

The Gingerbread Homes for the Holidays Contest in the Old Court House drew more than a dozen entries. Donna Brinson-Alexander won Best in Show for a gumdrop and coconut mansion.

In the amateur division, Sharon Ochs won Best in Show for a graham cracker and jelly bean castle.

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