Adam Zak
Staff Writer
This past week, Albany celebrated two tree lighting ceremonies downtown. Despite the close proximity to one another and only a few days apart, they each uniquely encapsulated the Christmas spirit. The first was held on Friday (12/1) at Academy Park by City Hall. Inside city hall consisted of department booths of the City of Albany, where anyone could get some holiday gift bags of DIY decorations, miscellaneous items such as tote bags and water bottles, and food and drink. Empanada Llama, located on Delaware Ave, provided several types of empanadas for the public; hot cocoa, hot cider, and coffee was also handed out, along with some apple cider donuts given by Cider Belly. The hot food and drink was perfect as it was on a cold and rainy evening. Some guest appearances were also in attendance; Miss New York, Albany’s Tulip Queen, Mayor Kathy Sheehan, as well as Albany High’s choir, the Albanettes, who sang some holiday songs. The countdown was paired with a comically large lever for the lights, which lit up a small tree right in front of City Hall, as well as a slightly larger tree actually placed in Academy Park.
The Plaza’s tree lighting was different in a few ways. First, it was postponed to Monday night, instead of the traditional Sunday night. Second, there unfortunately was not any free hot food and drink, but there were some performances that for sure made up for it. Right on the ice, the Hudson Mohawk Figure Skating club dressed up and did their routine for everyone. There was also music, sung on a stage along with loud speakers, which was appreciated as the Albanettes were hard to hear at the previous event. After tenuous thank you’s to all of the people that helped make this tree lighting happen, and an appearance of our Governor Kathy Hochul, the significantly larger tree was lit up. It was a great sight as surrounding trees were lit prior, along with each building in the plaza, alternating red and green. The plaza lighting ended with a literal bang, consisting of a marvelous and up-close firework show. I tried leaving soon after they had started, however, with the close proximity of the pyrotechnics, the other half of the plaza was suddenly gated off. There were some upset people, especially those with dogs, but I was still one of the first dozen or so people that left as soon as we could and I thankfully beat most of the traffic.
Regardless, both tree lighting ceremonies had their unique flair and were both great experiences. It is a tradition here that the first one at Academy Park is the first Friday of December, along with the Plaza one a couple days later on Sunday. If you live in Albany or will be here next December, it is an easy suggestion for anyone to go.
