The turkey and mashed potatoes were already a distant memory by Friday evening, with thousands of people at Propstra Square in Esther Short Park embracing the Christmas spirit at the annual Community Tree Lighting.
Lily Soelberg was on the hunt for Santa Claus, and the rain wasn’t hampering her efforts.
“Do you know when Santa is coming?” she asked a young man dressed as an elf.
The 9-year-old wasn’t sure yet what she was going to ask St. Nick, but she could definitely say why Christmas was her preferred holiday.
“I get presents. I give presents to people, and people knock on our doors and sing. I love that,” she said.
This year’s lighting marked the beginning of the Vancouver Rotary Foundation’s Festival of Trees, now in its 21st year. The event runs through the weekend and features decorated trees, musical performances and a holiday market. Rotary also has a raffle — winners could win thousands of dollars worth of prizes — which helps raise money for scholarships. Last year, the group was able to award $79,000 in scholarships.
Jim David, a Rotary member who was helping organize Friday night’s tree-lighting, said the scholarships go to students of all ages, including older adults.
Sherri Annkin was at the tree-lighting event with her family, including a young grandson. She couldn’t wait for the tree to light up to watch his reaction.
“He doesn’t know yet,” she said. “We’re going to surprise the little one.”
Santa received a bear hug from Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt, and then it was time for him to flip the switch to turn on the lights.
Sure enough, the crowd was delighted.
Eight-year-old Madi Nides is a veteran festival attendee. This is the third year she’s watched the tree transform with blue, red, green and orange lights.
And this year, she knew exactly which tree would light up.
She confirmed it was as good as last year’s and remained her favorite part of the festival.
While much of the festival is meant to raise money for the scholarship program, the tree-lighting is meant to draw a crowd.
It’s “to make sure everyone enjoys Christmas and the holiday season,” Rotary member David said.