New 60-foot Christmas tree to light up Pittsburgh's Point State Park
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A decades-long Pittsburgh holiday tradition ended in 2021. This year, a new one is taking its place.
Duquesne Light announced on Wednesday that the "Three Rivers Tree" will make its debut at Point State Park this week. The 60-foot tree will replace the "Tree of Lights," which was retired as a way to preserve the historic grounds of Fort Duquesne.
The "Tree of Lights," which had stood every holiday season since 1988, was supposed to be done in 2020, but after Pittsburghers petitioned for its return, Duquesne Light brought it back in 2021 while promising to create a similar, more energy-efficient tree that would have less of an impact on the park.
Pete Linko created a petition online to demand the tree stay at Point State Park.
"It wasn't coming back, it wasn't being redesigned, it was done until 10,000 Pittsburghers in one week signed a petition to save our tree," he said.
A local Carnegie Mellon University alum came up with the design concept that was used as inspiration for the final display. After requesting proposals to source engineering and construction, Duquesne Light says it ultimately partnered with Artistic Holiday Designs.
With 22,000 LED pixels, Duquesne Light says the new tree will incorporate vibrant colors and images in 15-minute cycles that symbolize winter and the holiday season.
When the original tree was introduced, it was dedicated to all the employees who worked at Duquesne Light. To continue the tradition, employees were asked to help name it.
"DLC is beyond delighted to bring a new holiday symbol to Pittsburgh while staying aligned with our vision of a clean energy future for all. We're extremely grateful to the many stakeholders and partners who helped bring the 'Three Rivers Tree' to life so Pittsburghers can celebrate it for decades to come," said DLC President and CEO Kevin Walker in a news release. "We especially thank the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) for their continued partnership in having a tree present at beautiful and historic Point State Park throughout the holiday season."
The tree will be on display from Nov. 17 to Jan. 8, but it is being set up right now.
"It's beautiful," Ali Cellier of Pittsburgh said. "We came to take our dog on a walk and we had to stop and just look at it and go up. It looks gorgeous. We're really excited to come back this weekend."
"It's cool to have it back," Dan Pritchett of Pittsburgh said. "It was kind of empty last year not having it there. It's a sign of good things to come."