MANSFIELD — Is it really Christmas before the traditional tree is installed in downtown Mansfield?
As of Tuesday afternoon, the holiday season has officially arrived as the Mansfield Street Department worked against the weather to bring in a 50-foot Christmas tree at Richland Carrousel Park.
Traffic was briefly halted shortly after 11 a.m. at the intersection of Main and Fourth Streets downtown as Shelly Smith & Sons Ltd. used a crane to lift the massive tree from a flatbed truck into its proper place at the Carrousel.
According to Safety Services Director Lori Cope, downtown Mansfield has had a community tree for the past 25 years. It started on the square before moving down to the Carrousel area.
This year’s tree comes from a residence on Sherman Avenue. Cope said every year the city puts out a call for locals to send in their suggested trees, and the city sends a crew to inspect for fullness and height.
“We do like to try and get it from someone inside the city,” Cope said.
This year’s tree only had to travel a little more than a mile to get to its final destination. Over the next few weeks, the city will use its bucket trucks to decorate the 50-foot tree for an official lighting ceremony next Friday.
The tree lighting, performed for the eighth consecutive year by Mayor Tim Theaker, will take place at 6 p.m. on Dec. 7. After the tree lighting, guests can visit the Tiny Tim Shoppe at 128 N. Main St. or stop by downtown businesses that will be open late for the December Shop Hop.
