‘Twas a few weeks before Christmas, or somewhere about. The City of Lake Station was ready, no doubt. The lights shone bright around the newly lit tree, as good ol’ Saint Nick arrived for the beloved Christmas ceremony!
The City of Lake Station was merry and bright Saturday night as many gathered at City Hall for the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on December 2. The tree lighting has been a seasonal city staple for many years and has always drawn in a great crowd each time for an evening of holiday fun.
“Anytime we can bring in the holiday season and the Christmas season with the tree lighting, it's a blessing,” said Lake Station Mayor Bill Carroll. “It's important we do things like this for our community to show we are a united and strong community.”
The ceremony kicked off with a bang as Santa Claus, the man of the hour, rode up in style atop a city fire truck alongside Carroll. Children and their families were beaming from ear to ear as they ran up to approach Saint Nick to give him a welcoming hug, pose for a picture and slide in some last minute requests for presents they hope to see under the tree this year.
Santa then quickly got to business and lit the tree for all to see outside City Hall while everyone marveled at the array of green, yellow, and blue hues that sparkled all around its branches. Following the lighting, everyone was invited to come to the hall’s second floor for some hot chocolate, tasty treats, arts and crafts, mingling, and more opportunities to hang out with Santa.
“I’ve always enjoyed seeing all the kids run around and all the stuff the civic groups have planned upstairs,” said Carroll. “It's always good to see families involved, old people involved, young people involved – everybody involved. That's what it's all about.”
Carroll is proud to see how far this event has come over the years. As such a long standing tradition, the city has seen many changes to the event as it has been tailored to be just right for residents. Now, tonight, Carroll is confident that this could be the best one yet.
“We’re in full force with tons of events, tons of festivities, and tons of happiness all around,” he said.
Carroll and other Lake Station officials always love putting in the hard work to make events such as the tree lighting a success because they know just how much such events mean to the people who live there. It also takes many hands on deck to help bring these events to life, and Carroll is beyond thankful for each and every one of them for all they do for the city.
“It means the world. No matter how big or how small the event is, it's still an event. It's an event for the public, it’s an event for our citizens, and to show that we are a community that cares and one that is willing to go that extra step in order to make sure that we still have these events going on,” Carroll said. “Each year we get bigger and bigger. We started with this main tree, then we added more trees and more and more, and each year we try to improve upon what we have. Without the civic groups, the Lions Club, and Pam Schaffner, all the events we have like this wouldn't be possible.”
The work definitely paid off, and everyone who came had a grand time. Third District Councilwoman Kelli Williams loved how she and her family were able to connect with friendly faces throughout the city at the event for some Christmas fun.
“I always support my community, and of course, my grandkids are here drawing, so of course, I'm going to be with my grandkids,” she said. “I also love watching our community come together. That’s absolutely the best part of it.”
Now that the Christmas and wintertime festivities have begun, Carroll wishes nothing more than for everyone to have a wonderful holiday season.
“Merry Christmas, and everybody, be safe,” he said.
For more information about the City of Lake Station, visit lakestation-in.gov.
