60-foot South Lake Tahoe community tree cut for Heavenly Village

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Rockefeller Center in New York City has a Christmas tree as a backdrop for all holiday activities in the Big City since 1933, and now South Lake Tahoe is starting what hopes to be an annual tradition. Standing at 60-feet, the local version isn't quite as big as their neighbor on the East Coast (which runs 60-100 feet and can weigh close to 30,000 pounds), but it serve as a place to warm hearts and be a center of holiday photos and fun.

It truly took a village to cut down the community Christmas tree in South Lake Tahoe on November 7. Just after 6:00 a.m., tree cutters, law enforcement and a team of collaborators met at the location of the Silver Tip tree on Pioneer Trail. Traffic was diverted, the tree cut down and placed on a large trailer, and a procession went to Heavenly Village for placement.

This is all in preparation for the kickoff to Heavenly Holidays with a Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony on Friday, November 23 at 7:00 p.m. where there will be caroling, music and an appearance by the jolly man himself, Santa Claus. (downloadable Heavenly Holidays schedule here)

The Casteel family (led by Gary Jr. and Gary Sr.) and their company Trans-Sierra Investments, Inc. were huge supporters of getting the tree cut, transported and placed in Heavenly Village.

Their list of elves is a long one: Organizer Dreu Murin, Greg Campbell of PADMA, Skibum Family, Inc (Kenny Curtzwiler, Ricardo Espino, Martin Villalpando, Bernardo Garcia, Carlos Garcia, Cesar Olvera, Hector Garcia, Pedro Garcia, Mark Day, Josh Day, Kevin Male), Ed Cook Crane Service, Tom Loomis, MB Construction (Mike Bailey, Kevin Tholl, Dustin Turner, Mike Ball), California Highway Patrol (Officer Martin Nunez), the Thomas Haen Company (Robert Haen, Steve Scharbach) and Jerry Heath.

Dreu Murin Productions has created a Heavenly Holidays celebration from November 23 to December 31 that will include the Tree Lighting, Breakfast with Santa, a weekly Rail Jam, balloon artist, Disney favorites walking around and performing on ice, a life size snowglobe for photos, a huge ski Adirondack chair created by a local artist, a Ferris Wheel, train, ski simulator machine, photos with Santa, TOCCATA, jazz, A performance of the Christmas Carol and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, CIRQUEnanagans, magic and wrapping up with a New Year's Eve celebration.

Heavenly Village parking garage is $10 after 5:00 p.m. on holidays and $5 after 5:00 p.m. on non-holidays.