A gleaming cone of dazzling lights towered over Union Square on Wednesday, as they sparkled on their opening night during the 35th annual Christmas tree lighting sponsored by Macy’s.
Lt. Mariano Elias, a public information officer for the San Francisco Fire Department, stood on a platform dressed in a dark, formal uniform next to the great tree.
“It attracts people to come to San Francisco,” Elias said. “The mayor was here and this starts the holiday season, the shopping, it brings families here. It’s a good time where everyone can feel, ‘Hey, Christmas is coming!’”
Despite not having a ceremony event for a third year in a row, the lighting of the 85-foot-tall artificial Christmas tree drew a crowd in front of Macy’s flagship store. The soft, bright light revealed hundreds of smooth, beautifully shaped ornaments set all throughout the tree reflecting the smiling faces of admirers in the square. For some there, the glow of the winter holiday season offered a small respite amid recent chaotic circumstances.
Orlando Veras, senior director of external communications for Macy’s was at the event. Veras provided some insight into how the tree is set up.
“The Macy’s studio team that does the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade do all of our holiday events across the country, so they put up the tree,” Veras said.
Veras said that it takes a couple of weeks to set up and take out of storage.
“In late October, we spend a couple days just to make sure it’s clean and the lights are working. Setting it up takes another two days but this store is the only one that has one this big outside,” Veras said. “We designed it, we built it and we put it up and the lights and the ornaments are all Macy’s items.”
The allure of the mesmerizing soft flashes lured tourists into the square, like Ashley Calhoun, who was visiting from Banks, Oregon.
“I feel all sparkly inside and lit up and festive, this is the first holiday piece I’ve seen. I wasn’t ready to get into the holidays but I think I really am starting to feel it now,” said Calhoun as she gazed upon the golden glow.
Life seemed to imitate the Christmas myth as folks from near and far gathered under a neon star, like Wilnelia H. from Puerto Rico.
“It’s so pretty. It’s beautiful. I love Christmas and for me, the tree is so beautiful,” said Wilnelia beaming. “We love Christmas, we start our tradition in September all the way until January. There’s a lot of Christmas trees around the island.”
The Macy’s Great Tree in Union Square will be available to the public until Jan. 1, 2025.
Neal Wong contributed reporting to this story.
