Chicago Cultural Mile welcomes City's Christmas tree back home

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Nov 23, 2015, 10:00 ET

Chicago's official Christmas Tree on the Chicago Cultural Mile

CHICAGO, Nov. 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- After 48 years, the Chicago Cultural Mile Association is excited to welcome Chicago's Annual Christmas Tree back to its original home. The arrival of the City's official Christmas tree creates a premier winter wonderland and the official home of Santa's Midwest headquarters on the Chicago Cultural Mile.

The 102nd Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, November 24, 2015 at 5:30PM and heralds the beginning of a homecoming to the Chicago Cultural Mile. "Many people don't know that Chicago's first official Christmas tree was lit by Mayor Carter Harrison in 1913 in Grant Park at Monroe Street and Michigan Avenue, just two blocks from where the tree will now stand," according to J.R. Davis, Chairman and President of the Chicago Cultural Mile Association. "For the next 52 years, from 1913 to 1965, Chicago's official Christmas tree stood in various locations on the Chicago Cultural Mile. In 1966 the tree was moved to Daley Plaza where it has been for the last 48 years with only one exception," he added.

The Chicago Cultural Mile Association is happy to be participating in the return of the iconic Christmas tree. "To help dress the area in its holiday best, the Chicago Cultural Mile is sponsoring the holiday lighting that will adorn the iconic Millennium Monument," Davis said. "The Millennium Monument, which is in Wrigley Plaza, will serve as a backdrop for the Christmas tree," he continued.

Additionally, the Chicago Cultural Mile Association will distribute 2000 festive scarves to spectators of the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. "These holiday-themed scarves will provide an extra layer of warmth to those in attendance," said Davis. "Also, the Chicago Cultural Mile is happy to provide a stock of candy canes to be distributed by Santa Claus at Santa's Midwest headquarters in Millennium Park throughout the holiday season," he concluded.

The Chicago Cultural Mile Association is an independent not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the unique strengths and diverse offerings available to visitors frequenting our strategic Michigan Avenue location from the river south to Roosevelt Road. The organization's goal is to affect streetscape improvements, market and brand the Chicago Cultural Mile as a destination avenue, create networking opportunities for businesses and institutions along the Mile and build a premier merchant-based advocacy group for citizens and stakeholders of our district. For more information about the Chicago Cultural Mile Association visit chicagoculturalmile.org.

Chicago Cultural Mile Association partner organizations include: Adler Planetarium, American Rhythm Center, American Writers Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, Blue Plate Catering, Chicago Architecture Foundation, Chicago Athletic Hotel, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Library, Chicago Trolley and Double Decker, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, Choose Chicago, Chuck's Manufacturing, City of Chicago, Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, The Cliff Dwellers, Coalition Energy, Columbia College Chicago, Comfort Suites, David's Tea, The Field Museum, the Fine Arts Building Studios, Gene Siskel Film Center at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Hard Rock Hotel Chicago, Harris Theater at Millennium Park, Hilton Chicago, Hilton Garden Inn Chicago, Hostelling International, Italian Village Restaurants, McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum. Mercat a la Planxa, Metropolitan Towers, Millennium Garages, Millennium Park, Modern Classics, Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College, National Louis University, Ossia Musical Forum, Pritzker Military Library, Park Grill Millennium Park, Remington's, Renaissance Blackstone Hotel, The Residence at 330, Roosevelt University, Schaffner Communications, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Seven Lions, Skydeck Chicago, SouthLoop Living,Tesori, Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago, William Harris Lee & Co., Women's Business Development Center, World Chicago.