Now through Jan. 1, families can take photos in a festive evergreen wonderland showcasing the 20-foot tall downtown Christmas tree on Courthouse Square.
The 20-foot tree was selected by Main Street Morgantown from Kings Tree Farm in Bruceton Mills.
Morgantown Public Works transported the tree to the square, with County Public Works assisting in installation and decoration. The centerpiece tree is joined by several smaller evergreen trees and festive lighting thanks to the city and county and volunteer decorators. The festive display is thanks to a new alliance for holiday cheer emerging this year between Main Street Morgantown, Monongalia County Commission and the City of Morgantown.
“It’s important for Main Street Morgantown to support establishing a gathering spot for the community around the holidays. It doesn’t happen without support from our partners from the city, the county, West Virginia University, all of our businesses and supporters in the downtown.” said Mark Downs, Main Street Morgantown Board president.
In 2017, the discovery of a photograph renewed a 100-year-old tradition. Local developer and former Main Street Morgantown board member Dominick Claudio stated, “I found a picture of a circa 1920s ladder truck and the fire department putting this tree up and I was just really inspired by it.”
Claudio has donated the tree from 2017-22.
To honor the new tradition, Main Street Morgantown has launched a photo contest. The public is encouraged to capture and spread the holiday spirit for a chance to win gift cards from downtown businesses. Running through Sunday, participants can share downtown photos on social media of their favorite holiday display, public art piece or other downtown sights using the hashtags #MorgantownFavoriteThings and #DowntownMorgantown.
Photos should also tag @mainstreetmorgantown and be publicly viewable for a chance to win. For complete contest rules, visit Main Street Morgantown on Facebook or Instagram or visit https://downtownmorgantown.com/
