Temperatures just shy of 50 Tuesday may not have been in sync with turning downtown Naperville into a winter wonderland but it’s a sure bet Naperville Park District employees weren’t complaining as they set up the city’s 18-foot Christmas tree.
Unlike years past when a live tree was installed at West Jackson Avenue and Webster Street, putting up the LED-lit artificial tree is a bit like putting together a puzzle from the bottom up. The crane brought in to place the tree’s uppermost section a bit like adding a cherry to the top of a sundae.
Once the tree was in place, crews were off to make downtown look a bit more seasonal — installing additional holiday lights, hanging wreaths on the Riverwalk bridges, transforming the Riverwalk Cafe into Santa’s Naperville Workshop, and putting up the traditional Menorah and the Nativity scene.
It’s all in preparation for the official start of the holiday season on the day after Thanksgiving. As he always does, Santa’s arrival will be the highlight of the downtown Parade of Lights, which steps off at 5:15 p.m. Nov. 26.
