New downtown Christmas tree coming in 2024

Gladewater’s towering downtown tannenbaum has seen its last Christmas.
Don’t fret: The plan’s to have a new community Christmas tree in-hand well ahead of the 2024 holiday season, and Gladewater Chamber of Commerce’s Lois Reed has already priced a replacement at about $25,000, including shipping.
She has the pricetag covered, too. In addition to about $5,000 Reed’s already raised, an unnamed donor has stepped up with an additional $5K, and Gladewater council members last month re-upped the city’s $15,000 commitment.
“It’s going to be gorgeous,” Reed told the council last month. “I think this would be a nice investment for our downtown area.”
In particular, she said, the tree adds to the excitement of events like downtown’s annual Holiday Open House in November and the Gladewater Christmas Parade in December.
The current tree’s showing its age, though.
“At night the tree is beautiful, but during the daytime, we’re lacking,” Reed said.
Erecting the central decoration is also becoming more and more challenging for city workers as the equipment ages.
Ultimately, council member Teddy Sorrells’ motion to approve the $15,000 expense “for a better quality of life” was unanimously approved by the council.
Mayor Scott Owens requested Gladewater Economic Development Corporation help defray the city’s contribution to the new tree to the tune of $5,000. After considering the pitch during the regular GEDCO board meeting in mid-December, the organization’s directors opted to table the issue until a finalized quote is in-hand.