x
Breaking News
More () »

Downtown Little Rock considers installing 65-foot Christmas tree, asks for donations

The tree that the Downtown Little Rock Partnership has their eyes on is a whopping $30,000. However, some residents said the heavy price is worth bringing a little Christmas spirit to Little Rock.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - Hold onto your seats folks, because there are only 10 more weeks until Christmas. While it may be hard for some to think about Christmas before Halloween, some have already started preparing their big celebrations.

"There's the whole saying about Christmas in July, so if you can think about Christmas in July, you can definitely start planning for Christmas in October,” said Downtown Little Rock Partnership Executive Director Gabe Holmstrom.

Lots of planning -- that's what's happening behind-the-scenes to ensure downtown Little Rock is lit this holiday season.

"We had a lot of success and excitement around the big Christmas tree that we brought out last year to the corner of Capitol and Main, so we wanted to do it again this year,” Holmstrom said.

You may remember the original tree was shot up by hooligans on its long commute to Little Rock.

"They had some eco-terrorism in the Pacific Northwest, I guess we could say,” Holmstrom said. “But we've identified the tree. The tree is going to be about 65 feet tall this year, so a good 20 feet taller than last year's tree, which is going to be a substantial presence in downtown."

The challenge: That tree demands a whole lot of dough. It comes in at a whopping $30,000, about the same amount as a small SUV.

"This is true, but the amount of people that it brings to our downtown that come and enjoy it, bring their families out and take pictures at it -- it's just really something that's positive for our downtown,” Holmstrom said.

We asked residents if they would they be willing to donate their hard-earned money for a big ole Christmas tree in downtown Little Rock.

"Definitely,” said Little Rock resident Brent Birch. “It's a pretty cool attraction. It brings people to downtown who probably wouldn't normally come. Just to see the Christmas tree. Especially kids."

"Oh yeah, sure, yeah. It's great having all the holiday lights and everything down here. It really adds to the atmosphere,” said fellow Little Rock resident Ross Cranford.

The Christmas tree lighting ceremony will be held Nov. 19 at the corner of Capitol Avenue and Main Street. To donate, click here.

Before You Leave, Check This Out