Kickoff your Christmas at the tree lighting
Anyone passing by the corner of Highways 160 and 372 this past Monday will certainly have noticed crews with Valley Electric Association working on an addition to the busiest intersection in town and for those who may not know, the sight of the towering artificial evergreen means it’s time to get ready for what has become known as the kickoff of the Christmas season in the valley - the Community Christmas Tree Lighting.
Set for this Saturday, the Community Christmas Tree Lighting is sponsored by KNYE Radio and owner Karen Jackson, whose love of the town she calls home led her to create what has become a keystone of the local Christmas happenings.
The original Community Christmas Tree was fresh-cut and placed on a lot adjacent to Saddle West before it was eventually moved to its now iconic location of the Pahrump Nugget parking lot. Fresh-cut trees can be expensive, though, which is why Jackson decided in 2014 to make a change from a live specimen to an artificial tree that could be used for years to come. With that change came the inaugural Community Christmas Tree Lighting and today, 12 years later, the event is still a beloved part of the local holiday observances.
The Community Christmas Tree Lighting offers residents and their families a chance to gather in celebration of the most wonderful time of the year and share in the festive cheer that the holidays always inspire. It’s an event that, despite often frigid temperatures, regularly attracts hundreds of attendees eager to watch as the thousands of colored lights that bedeck the tree are illuminated for the season.
“I hope everyone brings their family and friends to KNYE’s annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting this Saturday night,” Jackson told the Pahrump Valley Times. “Santa and Mrs. Claus will be there, the Nugget is providing the cookies and cocoa, the Pahrump Valley Choir will be there. It’s a fun family event, even though it is usually very cold.”
Jackson herself will not be in attendance this year, as she is undergoing treatment for skin cancer, but she has a very able person stepping in for the evening, with Deanna O’Donnell set to head the event.
The Annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting is set for this Saturday, Nov. 29 at 6 p.m. in the southwest corner of the Pahrump Nugget parking lot.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com
