While walking toward the corner of Elm and Congress yesterday, I looked up after a woman behind me screeched, “holy s*, its f*ing huge!” Knowing she couldn’t mean me, I decided to scan my surroundings to see the object of her enthusiastic yelp, and there it was. Majestic and almost too girthy to fit between the light posts adorned with banners suggesting we ‘love Portland more’ in front of city hall, was the city’s official Holiday Tree.
The Portland Police cruisers came first, officers inside of which were all excited to perform the quick left and quick swing around to the right that definitely looks the coolest when performed in a Crown Vic. The cruiser maneuvers served to close Congress, forcing oncoming cars down Elm. The semi with the tree, freshly cut from South Portland, barreled past, ushering both the tree and the holiday season to our city.
Standing in Monument Square watching the crane erect its sturdy arm to lift the tree into place, I heard the sounds of excitement come from the crowd that turned out to be, courtesy of the seasonably mild weather we’re having, pretty large. Santa Claus made an appearance. The ‘Tax The Rich’ placard-holding-guy even showed up. Television cameras were properly aimed and the newspaper photographers were in place. Seeing the tree go up, I started to get all excited about the holiday season. I thought about how nice the tree would look all lit up and thought about the other decorations the city puts up around town. Then I remembered the best part about Christmastime decorating in Portland.
The return of the Christmas Balls.
With a slight turn to the left, I saw one dangling there. I quickly looked all around. Every light post had a ball. The time and temperature building had its special cornucopia-style lights. There were big ones, little ones, round ones and oval. The Christmas balls were firmly in place. The tree’s arrival suggested the season was nearing. The balls confirmed that suggestion as fact.
Art can be a controversial thing in this city. From forty-five thousand dollar benches to waves of steel, it is sometimes whispered by others and on my mind that Portland shouldn’t waste its money on frivolous pieces. But when it comes to the lighted balls, the display of which in my opinion makes Portland one of the prettiest cities in the country during the holidays, I could care less about the cost. They are truly the most beautiful pieces of public art I have seen anywhere.
So next Friday, after our mad rush to buy foreign made plastic consumer goods we don’t need, stop by the tree lighting and at the same time, see the Christmas Balls lit up in all their glory - serving their purpose as the holiday season’s official beacons of Portland.
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