New Haven Christmas Tree Being Set Up

By Jack Kramer, Correspondent

NEW HAVEN,, CONNECTICUT – A 90-foot Norway Pine tree donated by a Branford family was in the midst of being set into place by workers on the New Haven City Green Friday afternoon as New Haven’s Christmas tree.

A Branford family came to the rescue and donated the tree in their School Ground Road front yard to ensure that a New Haven holiday tradition lives on this Christmas.

The LaPointe family donated the tree to the city of New Haven.

Several weeks ago New Haven officials had expressed concern that nobody had stepped up to volunteer a tree for this year’s Christmas festivities.

And that’s when the LaPointe family stepped up.

“About three weeks ago I had a knock on my door,” said Elizabeth LaPointe, in a recent interview,, “from people from the city of New Haven asking me about the tree.”

She said the tree is about 50 years old.

When she was asked by New Haven workers whether she would donate the tree, Mrs. LaPointe said yes.

She admitted to having “mixed feelings” about having the tree removed from her front yard. “It makes me a little sad, yes, I admit,” she said. “We used to decorate the tree ourselves for Christmas when my kids were little.

“But it just got too big.”

Traditionally, the Christmas tree is put up on the New Haven at the end of October. It is decorated with 30,000 LED colored lights and an official lighting ceremony takes place in early December.

Photo credit: Audrey Kramer