Courthouse Square’s holiday tree arrives in Dayton

The Dayton Holiday Tree arrived at Courthouse Square on Tuesday and was prepared and erected by City of Dayton employees and crane operators from PSC Crane & Rigging. The tree was provided by Pete Arnold from Tipp City. The Grande Illumination will take place from 4-9 p.m. on the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 27, and the tree lighting ceremony will take place on Courthouse Square at 7:45 p.m. The Dayton Children�s Parade Spectacular in Lights will immediately follow the tree lighting. TY GREENLEES / STAFF

The Dayton Holiday Tree arrived at Courthouse Square on Tuesday and was prepared and erected by City of Dayton employees and crane operators from PSC Crane & Rigging. The tree was provided by Pete Arnold from Tipp City. The Grande Illumination will take place from 4-9 p.m. on the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 27, and the tree lighting ceremony will take place on Courthouse Square at 7:45 p.m. The Dayton Children�s Parade Spectacular in Lights will immediately follow the tree lighting. TY GREENLEES / STAFF

The holiday season is well and under way, as the city of Dayton has chosen a tree to be lit during the traditional Grande Illumination ceremony on Nov. 27.

That tree traveled from Tipp City to Courthouse Square Tuesday morning, with PSC Crane and Rigging donating the use of their crane and equipment to transport the tree to Courthouse Square and the City providing personnel and equipment to cut the tree.

The tree is being installed ahead of the ceremony, which takes place from 4-9 p.m. on Nov. 27; the tree lighting ceremony kicks off at 7:45 p.m. that day with the Dayton Children’s Parade Spectacular in Lights immediately to follow.

The Grande Illumination Ceremony is one of Dayton’s largest annual holiday festivities, this year marking 43 years of kicking off the holiday season, according to the Downtown Dayton Partnership. Every year, Miami Valley residents nominate their tree to light up downtown; this year, Pete Arnold from Tipp City grew the winning tree.

The month-long Dayton Holiday Festival is presented by the Downtown Dayton Partnership, the city of Dayton, Montgomery County and the Virginia W. Kettering Dayton Holiday Festival Fund. Sponsors include DP&L, Miami Valley Hospital, Time Warner Cable Media, CareSource, Fifth Third Bank, Hollywood Gaming Dayton Raceway, Downtown Priority Board, Big 106.5, B94.5 Hot Country, DP&L & ABC22/FOX45 and Channel 99.9.

For more information, visit daytonholidayfestival.org.