55-foot blue spruce selected as Chicago’s official Christmas tree

The City of Chicago’s official Christmas tree lighting ceremony is photographed in Millennium Park in 2018. | Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Time

Millennium Park is getting one step closer to the kickoff of the 2019 holiday season in Chicago.

After weeks of a search for the ideal candidate to become the city’s 106th official Christmas tree, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events on Wednesday announced that a 55-foot blue spruce is the winner from among more than 40 entries in this year’s contest.

The Gene Nelson family of Elgin is donating the tree, which will be cut down Thursday morning from their front yard and delivered to Millennium Park on Friday evening.

This 55-fool blue spruce, donated by Gene Nelson of Elgin, will serve as Chicago’s official Christmas tree for 2019.

Chicago has had an official Christmas tree annually since 1913, when the first tree was lit in Grant Park. The tree and festivities moved to Daley Plaza in 1966 (in 1982 the tree was positioned at State and Wacker but returned to Daley Plaza the following year) and then to Millennium Park in 2016.

The Nelson family will join Santa and other special guests for the official tree lighting ceremony on Nov. 22 in Millennium Park at Washington and Michigan. The fun begins at 6 p.m. with the lighting at approximately 6:30 p.m. Admission if free. The tree will be on display through Jan. 6, 2020.

The illuminated tree’s proximity to “The Bean” and the annual Caroling at Cloud Gate, as well as the park’s ice skating rink, make for a full-out holiday experience for the whole family.

For more info, visit millenniumpark.org.