DETROIT – Tens of thousands of visitors packed downtown Detroit Friday night, Nov. 21, to witness the official kickoff of the holiday season - the city’s annual tree lighting.

Santa Claus himself threw the switch just after 7:15 p.m. to turn on thousands of lights strung through a 62-foot Norway spruce that was harvested nearly 200 miles away in the rural town of Mesick (between Cadillac and Traverse City) earlier this month.

The towering, LED-decorated tree stands each year atop the central fountain at Campus Martius Park. It’s a major attraction, along with the neighboring Rink at Campus Martius and Downtown Detroit Markets at Cadillac Square.

The event was broadcast live on WDIV Local 4. Country music artist BRELAND and pop singer-songwriter Natalie Jane headlined musical entertainme

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