The holiday season is officially underway in downtown Grand Junction with another successful tree lighting at the corner of 4th and Main.

Hundreds of bundled-up people gathered at Wells Fargo bank Saturday evening for the annual tree lighting that helps get Grand Junction into the holiday spirit. The weather was pretty much ideal. At tree lighting time, the temperature was 34° and then dropped down to 28° a few minutes later. Cold enough to make it feel like Christmas, but not so cold that it makes you want to pour hot chocolate down your pants.

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Zane Mathews
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Santa made his annual arrival in downtown Grand Junction to magically light the tree and all the lights in downtown Grand Junction. In an almost-just-as-magical-way, the lights had been put up by the Christmas elves in the Grand Junction Parks Department. The tree looks fantastic as do all the lights up and down Main Street.

Zane Mathews
Zane Mathews
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The downtown Grand Junction staff is fantastic and did a great job of getting this year's event organized. Again this year we were privileged to be entertained by Mesa Out Loud, an outstanding vocal group from Colorado Mesa University, under the direction of Jeremy Franklin.

Zane Mathews
Zane Mathews
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Zane Mathews
Zane Mathews
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How Big Is The Christmas Tree In Downtown Grand Junction?

First of all, I have to say a big thank you to Wells Fargo for buying the tree. I don't know how much it cost, but considering the fact that I paid about $65 last year for a six-foot tree, I can only imagine the price tag of this big, beautiful tree - not to mention the cost to transport it to Grand Junction.

Zane Mathews
Zane Mathews
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I am told by the folks at Wells Fargo that the tree came from the Orchard City area near Cedaredge. The Colorado Blue Spruce is about 27 years old and stands about 25 feet tall. Apparently, last year was a good year for reproduction, which explains the large amount of pine cones near the top.

Zane Mathews
Zane Mathews
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Come and See the Tree in Downtown Grand Junction

If you missed the tree lighting, I hope you plan to get to downtown Grand Junction during the holiday season to do some Christmas shopping and to experience the beauty of the lights and the majesty of the big tree standing next to the chrome buffalo in the Wells Fargo courtyard. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Grand Junction Christmas Light Displays of the 1940s

These decorations don't compare to the magnificent blue light display you'll see in the neighborhood in the northwest part of town. It was a different time. Even at that, there's something heartwarming about these 1948 decorations.

These are the best of the best of 1948. I regret I don't know which house placed first, second, etc. In the end, it doesn't matter. They're all great. Take a look at the gallery. Who knows? You might see a house you recognize. For that matter, you might see someone you recognize.

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