Sean Morgan and Scott Swanson
Sweet Home’s Christmas season got a super early start Friday with the departure of the 2018 Capitol Christmas tree for Washington, D.C.
The celebration included lots of music, a nighttime parade that drew thousands to the sidewalks, and lots of commerce.
A street fair kicked off at noon with a music set performed by Cathy Cheshire in the Sweet Home High School parking lot and a bazaar in the high school commons and cafeteria. Santa Claus was present early to visit with children, courtesy of Don Gonzalez.
“It kind of started out slow,” said Cecile Clemens, owner of Mrs. Sew and Sew, whose booth was one of 40-some vendors in the bazaar. An hour into the event, though, she said, “I think it’s picking up now.”
The day culminated in the lighted parade, with the Capitol Christmas tree bringing up the rear. After thronging the sidewalks to watch the brightly decorated entries go by, audience members headed to Long Street, in front of the high school, where they quickly surrounded the tree to sign a banner where it was parked in the middle of Long Street at 15th Avenue.
A sort of hush hung over the crowd as people took turns with markers to write their names and other messages on the banner that hung off the sides of the truck.
“I think it’s wonderful that it’s going to Washington, D.C., from home Sweet Home,” Clemens said. “Back here in Oregon, we’re part of the nation – We’re patriots here too. We love our country.”
“It’s a nice thing going on,” said P.J. Handy while shopping and planning to catch the parade later in the day.
“I think it’s pretty exciting,” said Exzanthia Flowers of Albany, who was selling jewelry at the Gypsy Lee Gifts table. “It’s neat that one of our trees is going to go cross country.”
“It’s pretty awesome,” said Lance Gatchell, a hydrologist with the Sweet Home Ranger District, which provided the tree. “I think it’s really helping out the community, putting Sweet Home on the map.”
The tree, harvested from Latiwi Creek Road, south of the House Rock campground east of Sweet Home, is the second from Oregon and the first noble fir to serve as the Capitol Christmas tree.
“This is so awesome,” said Joanie Schmidgall, public information officer with the Sweet Home Ranger District. “I never in a million years thought that in my career in forestry that I would be a part of something like this. It’s really cool to put Sweet Home in the national spotlight.”
It’s fitting the tree is coming from Sweet Home, she said. “The legacy of forestry here is so rich. It’s a timber town.”
“It brings the community together,” said Scott Melcher who was selling raffle tickets for a Harley Davidson motorcycle for the annual Boys and Girls Club fund-raising auction, which was held Saturday. “We’re out here celebrating something.”
“Absolutely fantastic,” Roger Swets of Veneta said after signing the banner: From Oregon with love. “What an event. You can’t say it in words.”
It’s a little town in the middle of nowhere, “and we’re going to D.C.,” said Swets, who is the father of Sweet Home District Ranger Nikki Swanson.
“Absolutely amazing the way the community came together,” Swanson said. “This is the best sendoff ever.”
“It’s going so well,” said City Councilor Susan Coleman, who was a chief organizer for Friday’s celebration, following the parade. “It was so amazing the people signing their names. I happened to find my family, so we got to sign it together. It’s been a beautiful adventure, people coming together for something good.”
The Sweet Home community rounded out the evening with a program in the main gym at the high school.
“This was an amazing feat for this community,” said Sen. Ron Wyden who attended and then spoke during the program. “I’ll be able to have something to brag about in D.C. Obviously, there’s no place like Sweet Home for the holidays.”
He said the Capitol Christmas Tree is a reflection of the resources the local forests have to offer.
“This tree is really a reflection of who we are as Oregonians,” he said, noting that a love of outdoor life is pretty much a prerequisite for residency.
Mayor Greg Mahler said the city’s motto has been “Merry Christmas” every day since the announcement in January that Sweet Home would produce the national Christmas tree.
“It’s been Christmas every day all year long.”
He and others emphasized the community’s appreciation for veterans’ “service and sacrifice,” as Mahler put it as he thanked those who have served in the military and other public service functions.
Swanson credited the community with putting on “the best show I’ve ever seen” to celebrate the tree.
She joked that she had to curtail what she said about the tree because, as soon as she announced that Sweet Home would produce the tree, “people started planning parades” and other events.
She said she’d spent the day before visiting local schools and was impressed by the questions she got from local youngsters, particularly the kindergarteners.
Swanson said the celebration “set a high bar” for the future.
“I really do think we did pick the most beautiful tree,” she said.