PEORIA, Ill. – A shining Christmas tree now illuminates the Peoria Riverfront Museum along Washington Street.
The museum on Tuesday night held a tree lighting ceremony to kick off its Christmas in the Village event this weekend. The museum used 40,000 tree lights to brighten a 60-foot Norway spruce tree, donated by a local family.
The museum’s 3rd annual Christmas in the Village runs Friday and Saturday, featuring carriage rides with Santa, carolers, food trucks, and the Christmas tree.
President and CEO John Morris says the inspiration for the event came from wanting to bring people together post-COVID.
“We decided let’s do something to pull the community together, and we had an instant tradition. So the third year, you can already feel it,” Morris said.
Morris says he is also grateful for the members of the community who came together to make the tree lighting possible in Peoria.
Event chair Alison Unkovich envisions the event to be a holiday tradition close to home for people in central Illinois.
“We don’t need to travel to Chicago, we don’t need to travel to St. Louis to have this magnificent tree, we have it right here in Peoria,” Unkovich said. “And it’s truly is a symbol of bringing the community together, a symbol of family, community, magic, and all those things that encompass the Christmas season.”
Unkovich says her favorite part is watching families come together to enjoy the event and making memories, and adds she’s excited to see it grow in the future. She says new this year for Christmas in the Village are camels, alpacas, and ponies.
Museum officials expect 10,000 people to attend Christmas in the Village over the weekend.
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