Cedar Rapids spruces up for annual Christmas tree lighting

CEDAR RAPIDS — Since Mike Condon and his family moved into their northeast Cedar Rapids home in 2009, the evergreen in their yard has spread its roots and stretched its limbs to the point where they felt the Colorado blue spruce had outgrown their property.

So last year, when Condon heard the city was seeking a donated tree for its holiday decor, he raised his hand by sending an email.

“But I never heard anything back,” said Condon, a proposal writer for Savvas Learning and a sports correspondent for The Gazette. That is, until about a month ago in October, when the city finally replied.

“They asked if we were still interested.”

Given the blue spruce now was nearly 35 feet tall and level — if not above — the apex of the family’s two-story home, Condon said they still were.

“We’ve always kind of said it would make a really good Christmas tree some time,” Condon said. “And now it's going to be.”

Among the nation’s top Tannenbaum selections, blue spruces are known for their icy-blue hue, strong needle retention and stiff branches capable of holding an array of ornaments.

With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, the city — with help from Coonrod Wrecker Service — arrived at the Condons before 8 a.m. Monday to cut the soon-to-be Christmas spruce and transport it to downtown’s Greene Square, where crews set it, strung it with lights and decorated it.

The tree will remain dark until Saturday, when the Condons plan to help light it during a ceremony at 5:30 p.m., when Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell will give remarks. Before that, starting at 4 p.m., the city will offer family activities at the downtown Cedar Rapids Public Library and adjacent Greene Square, including a scavenger hunt and “reindeer games.”

This will mark the 26th year Cedar Rapids has hoisted an official city tree, which all have been donated, according to Gail Loskill, parks and recreation spokeswoman.

“We only take trees that homeowners would have to take down for other reasons,” Loskill said. “This one had grown too big for the space it was in and was growing into a fence behind it.”

Even so, Condon said, “It is definitely going to look different out there without that tree, that’s for sure. But I think it's a really neat thing that it's going to a good cause for the city, and people get to enjoy it for 30 days.”

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