Community Gathers for Tree Lighting and Light Parade

Thousands of San Angeloans flocked to downtown on Saturday evening to listen to live Christmas music and celebrate 20 years of the Christmas light tour with the official switch-flip of the community tree.

Live music from the Community Band, the Twin Mountain Tonesmen and the Harmony Belles kicked off the celebration at Concho Ave. and Chadbourne St. around 5 p.m., followed by addresses by organizer Lee Pfluger and Mayor Dwain Morrison.

After hundreds were called to join in chorus in singing “Jingle Bells”, a countdown to the tree lighting began with the switched flipped on at dusk.

The event, which began 20 years ago on a much smaller scale, has grown tremendously over the years, said organizer Lee Pfluger, whose enthusiasm for the event showed as he anxiously waited for the subsequent Christmas Light Parade to begin.

“It started with a small walking tour, and now it’s a 2.4-mile light tour down the river,” Pfluger said of the light tour. “We have the most beautiful venue in the state of Texas because of the participation of volunteers in private homes that are on the high bank on the other side of the river. That allows our guests to not only see the images of the scenes, but also the reflections in the water. It just creates a double-fold enhancement of the holiday spirit and the Christmas season for our guests that participate in this program.”

Pfluger explained that the tour initially began with efforts to revitalize the historic city center with the aim of creating a positive image of happenings downtown.

“I felt like Christmas was the ideal time to have an event that was celebrating the birth of Christ, at the same time celebrating the revitalization of our downtown,” he said. “It’s an immense satisfaction to be able to enhance the quality of life of people that are my neighbors and that feel about San Angelo the way I do.”

Mayor Dwain Morrison also took part in the festivities on Saturday, and applauded all of those involved in officially opening the holiday season.

“Isn’t great to be in San Angelo, Texas!” the mayor exclaimed. “There ain’t no place like it. We opened the fort this morning, our Fort Concho days, now we’re down here at the tree lighting. We’re fixin’ to have our Christmas parade. We’ve got our community band, we’ve got our Harmonic Belles, we’ve got our Tonesman, what more could you ask for? We had an excellent crowd tonight but it’s going to be a wonderful season. I’m very, very proud of San Angelo, Texas.”

Following the tree lighting ceremony, citizens lined the streets of Oakes and Chadbourne, waiting for the well-lit caravan of floats, trucks and motorcycles to stream down the streets.

Various businesses, car clubs, churches and schools participated in the parade this year, each with their own unique decorative elements and at least five Santas.  

Despite a few broad gaps in parade traffic and a noted lack of holiday music, the streets remained full until the last lighted vehicle rolled by, “merry Christmas” called to the crowds hot stood shooting photos and reaching for candy.

“It’s a good day to be alive in San Angelo, Texas,” Morrison said with a smile.