Like Most Everything Else, Portage Tree Lighting Ceremony Goes Virtual

The City of Portage announced, due to Covid-19 safety concerns, the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony will be virtual this year.

The ceremony will be tomorrow evening, (Tuesday, December 1st) as part of the regular city council meeting. Some might say that's an ingenious way of getting citizens to watch a city council meeting.

The City of Portage says you can watch this city council meeting/tree lighting ceremony on Spectrum channel 995, and on AT&T U-Verse channel 99, or the live stream will be on portagemi.viebit.com. There is also an archive of some recent council meetings, for those looking to catch up on them.

The city says the ceremony will feature pre-recorded readings from the “I Love Portage” essay contest winners. In addition, Portage says

"Santa will welcome you and tell you about the places that you can visit with your family and friends at your leisure, such as Reindeer Lane, North Pole Trail and Santa’s lighted sleigh, which is the perfect place to take family photos. You will also learn where to drop your letters to Santa before going live for the countdown to light the Mayor’s Tree and Veteran’s Memorial Park.Experience the expanded Holiday Card and Tree Walk and sparkling holiday lights while strolling with your family and friends during the holiday season."

If you have any questions, the easiest way to get an answer is to call the Portage Parks and Recreation Department at 329-4522.