Tuscaloosa Gathers to Light Tinsel Trail Christmas Trees, Launching Holiday Season

Holiday revelers were out in numbers Monday evening as the city of Tuscaloosa celebrated the grand opening of the Tinsel Trail of Christmas trees in downtown Government Plaza.

The annual display is grander than ever this year, with more than 100 decorated trees sponsored by individuals, businesses, nonprofits and more supplemented by dazzling background decorations in the city park.

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Each tree has a sponsor, and the proceeds of the Tinsel Trail fund Tuscaloosa's One Place, a family resource center offering parenting services and education, workforce development programs, healthy relationship education, teen intervention and support, after school and school social work programs, and need-based assessments and referrals.

This year, the Tinsel Trail is presented by University Medical Center, Buffalo Rock, and The City of Tuscaloosa.

Chris Gunter, a TOP board member and the longtime face of Buffalo Rock Co. in Tuscaloosa, thanked all who sponsored a tree or donated to the chraity organization this year and in years past.

"I was having a conversation with some of our board members earlier and I remember when we first started this, we stood around a room and I think there were about seven of us and there were about three trees on the trail," Gunter said. "So wow - God is really good and thank you all so much for doing everything that you do for Tuscaloosa's One Place!"

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox was on hand Monday night to officially flip the switch and give power to all the lighted trees in the park.

"There's not a corner of this city that doesn't speak to my soul, and when I see the Tuscaloosa Children's Dancers over here, when I see all of you out here in the middle of Government Plaza celebrating Christmas, it makes me proud to call this place my home," Maddox said. "It also makes me proud that we are supporting one of the great agencies that does so much for the people of Tuscaloosa, and that's Tuscaloosa's One Place."

The downtown park is now merry and bright for the holiday season, and final touches are being made before the grand opening of Holdiays on the Plaza Friday, when the ice skating rink and winter wonderland will officially return.

For more coverage of holiday events in west Alabama and more, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.