[Zilker Tree Lighting Ceremony on November 27, 2022]
[00:00:08]
EVENING AND WELCOME TO THEILER HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING, PRESENTED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
BUM BUM, BUT BUMP BUM, VIRO FROM BAUN, BU BUMP, BUMP, BUM, BU BUMP, BUMP, BUMP, BUM ON.
WE WANNA WISH YOUR MERRY CHRISTMAS.
DO YOU WISH YOU WE WANNA WISH YOU'LL A MERRY CHRISTMAS.
DO WE WANNA YOU'LL A MERRY CHRISTMAS.
DO YOU? WE WERE WISH YOU MERRY CHRISTMAS.
WE YOU WISH I MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE BOTTOM OF A FORE NAVITA DOO NAVITA DOTA ON YOU.
I WANNA WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS.
I WANNA WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS.
WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.
I WANNA WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS.
I WANNA YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS.
I WANNA WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY CHA CHA CHACHA
AND NOW PLEASE WELCOME YOUR HOST FOR THE EVENING CA VIEW ANCHOR MISS QUITA COLE PEPPER.
IT'S THE WONDERFUL YE I LOVE THE SONG.
HOW ARE Y'ALL DOING TONIGHT? WELCOME TO THE 56TH ANNUAL ZILKER HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING PRESENTED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE TRAIL OF LIGHTS FOUNDATION.
ALL RIGHT, FIRST THINGS FIRST.
WE HAVE GREAT WEATHER, PLENTY OF GOOD COMPANY.
CAN WE ALL PUT OUR HANDS TOGETHER ONE MORE TIME FOR THE AUSTIN CIVIC WIND ENSEMBLE AND FOR THE AUSTINS? NOW THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THIS PARTY STARTED, PLEASE WELCOME AUSTIN CITY MANAGER, SPENCER CRONK PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR KIMBERLY MCNELEY, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, TAMMY COOPER AND PRESIDENT OF THE TRAIL OF LIGHTS FOUNDATION, NICHOLAS MILLER.
IT IS AMAZING TO SEE EVERYONE OUT TONIGHT AND IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU.
AS YOU KNOW, THESE PAST FEW FEW YEARS HAVE BROUGHT PLENTY OF ADVERSITY, BUT THEY'VE ALSO BROUGHT JOY AND HOPE AND PRIDE AND THIS ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING BLENDS AUSTIN TRADITION WITH COMMUNITY.
AND I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE A FEW PEOPLE THAT ARE WITH US TONIGHT.
FIRST OF ALL, OUR MAYOR AND OUR AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, THE TRAIL OF LIFE FOUNDATION SPONSORS OF THE 20 20 20 2020 22, UH, ZILKER HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING, AND OF COURSE THIS EVENING IS FA FANTASTIC PRESENTERS AND PERFORMERS.
GIVE THEM ALL A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE TEAMS OF CITY STAFF WHO MAKE THIS TREE LIGHTING AND THE UPCOMING TRAIL OF LIGHTS POSSIBLE.
[00:05:01]
SCENES PLANNING AND STRINGING LIGHTS AND HELPING AROUND THE PARK.OUR AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, OUR AUSTIN ENERGY DEPARTMENT, THE AUSTIN RE RESOURCE RECOVERY, AND THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT AND HELPING TO CELEBRATE THIS INCREDIBLE EVENING.
TONIGHTS I AM SO PROUD TO BE RE TO BE JOINED BY REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AUSTIN ENERGY, INTO OUR NONPROFIT PARTNER TRAIL OF LIGHTS FOUNDATION.
AND PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING KIMBERLY MCNEELY, OUR DIRECTOR OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
KIMBERLY, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
IT'S AN EXCITING NIGHT TO BE HERE IN ZILKER AND IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK.
IF THIS IS A TRADITION THAT YOU HAVE COME OFTEN IN, IN MANY, MANY YEARS PRIOR TO, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AGAIN.
IF THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU'VE DECIDED TO COME AT, I HOPE THAT YOU'LL MAKE THIS A TRADITION FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY FOR YEARS TO COME.
YOU KNOW, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT HAS 300 PARKS.
WE ADDED 31 NEW PARKS TO OUR SYSTEM AND I HOPE, OH, I HAD A LITTLE BIT OF PAUSE.
I HOPE THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE SOME TIME TO ENJOY SOME OF THE BEAUTIFUL WEATHER THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IN DECEMBER AND THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET OUT AND ENJOY THE SPACE.
SO JUST SO THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS, THIS COULDN'T BE DONE WITHOUT THE GREAT BEHIND THE SEAMS FOLKS THAT OUR CITY MANAGER HAD TALKED ABOUT.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW THAT THE ZILKER HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING WILL CONTINUE TO BE A, A, A THING TO COME WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE TRAIL OF LIGHTS FOUNDATION AND OUR LOVELY PARTNERS IN AUSTIN ENERGY.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO TAMMY.
TAMMY, WHY DON'T YOU JUST TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW, WHAT IT TOOK FOR US TO GET THIS WONDERFUL TREE TONIGHT.
SO JUST A REMINDER THAT AUSTIN ENERGY IS YOUR CITY OWNED ELECTRIC UTILITY AND WE ARE CUSTOMER DRIVEN AND COMMUNITY FOCUSED.
AND IN JUST A FEW MINUTES WE WILL FLIP THE SWITCH ON OUR NOW ICONIC ZILKER HOLIDAY TREE, ILLUMINATING THE AUSTIN SKY AND HERALDING THE HOLIDAY SEASON LIKE A BEACON IN THE NIGHT THROUGHOUT THE HOLIDAYS.
THE ZILKER TREE STANDS 155 FEET TALL.
I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO REPRESENT OUR AUSTIN ENERGY TEAM WHO ALL WORKS SO HARD TO HELP MAKE THE SEASON BRIGHT FOR THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE.
ASSEMBLING THE TREE IS A LABOR OF LOVE FOR OUR CREWS.
THEY INSPECT THE 39 LIGHT STREAMERS AND SHAPE THE TREE.
ONE CREW MEMBER HAS THE HONOR OF PLACING THE YELLOW BULBS IN JUST THE RIGHT ORDER TO CREATE THE INFAMOUS SWIRL PATTERN IN ALL CRUISE TESTS AND PLACE 3,309 MULTICOLORED BULBS.
THEN STREAMERS ARE LIFTED TO THE TOP OF ONE OF THE ONLY MOONLIGHT TOWERS STILL WORKING IN AMERICA TODAY THAT CREATES OUR SHINING TREE.
AND ALL THE LIGHTS ARE E BULBS WHICH CONSUME LESS ENERGY AND LAST LONGER.
AND IF YOU WANT TO LEARN HOW TO USE LESS ENERGY AT HOME, STOP BY THE AUSTIN ENERGY BOOTH TONIGHT FOR ENERGY SAVING TIPS, HOLIDAY SAFETY, LIGHTING ADVICE, AND MORE.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING AUSTIN ENERGY TO SERVE YOU FOR 127 YEARS SINCE THAT FIRST MOONLIGHT TOWER LIT AUSTIN SKY BACK IN 1895.
TONIGHT WE ARE PROUD TO BE PART OF THE 56TH ANNUAL ZILKER HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING TRADITION.
ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE AT AUSTIN ENERGY, HAVE A SAFE AND JOYOUS HOLIDAY SEASON.
NOW I KNOW WE ARE ALL EXCITED ABOUT LIGHTING THE ZILKER HOLIDAY TREE, BUT FIRST NICHOLAS, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE PLANNED ACROSS THE STREET? YOU BET.
UH, THIS IS MY DAUGHTER ELIZA.
ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8TH, WHICH IS JUST A LITTLE BIT OVER A WEEK AWAY THE ENTIRE TRAIL OF LIGHTS, FOUNDATION BOARD AND MYSELF, WE'LL BE SO EXCITED TO WELCOME YOU TO THE 58TH ANNUAL AUSTIN TRAIL OF LIGHTS.
THE GRAND OPENING THAT NIGHT IS ONE OF SEVEN NIGHTS COMPLETELY FREE FOR THE PUBLIC TO ATTEND AND REMEMBER THAT ALSO ANYONE UNDER 12 ALWAYS ATTENDS FREE.
UH, THIS WEEKEND WILL, WE WILL ALSO KICK OFF WITH SOME PRESEASON FUN, INCLUDING OUR OFFICIAL FUNDRAISER FOR THE PREVIEW PARTY, WHICH IS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2ND AND THE NINTH ANNUAL
[00:10:01]
FUND RUN, WHICH IS ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 3RD.UH, AND THEN FROM THE FIFTH THROUGH THE SEVENTH PRIOR TO OUR OPENING, WE'LL HAVE OUR ANNUAL STARS NIGHTS, WHICH WELCOME OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS AND THEN THE BENEFICIARIES TO PRIVATE GUIDED TOURS OF THE TRAIL.
THE OFFICIAL PUBLIC NIGHTS FOR THE TRAIL ARE, AS I MENTIONED, DECEMBER 8TH THROUGH DECEMBER 23RD.
THIS YEAR, IN ORDER TO EXTEND OUR STAY A LITTLE BIT, WE'RE CLOSED ON MONDAYS.
THAT WAY WE CAN FOCUS ON THE, THE DAYS WHERE MORE PEOPLE CAN COME.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HOSTING EVERYONE AT THE TRAIL LIGHTS THROUGHOUT DECEMBER AND FOR NOW, I'LL TURN IT BACK TO KEN.
BEFORE WE INVITE OUR YOUNG ARTISTS ON STAGE TO HELP LIGHT THE ZILKER TREE, WE'RE GONNA KEEP THE CELEBRATION GOING A LITTLE BIT.
SO PLEASE PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER AGAIN FOR THE AUSTINS WHO BABY LO BABY, I NEED YOU.
YOU DO TREATING ME THAT ME SAD ME.
UM, TO MAKE YOU DO'S ALL BABY BABY'S MISSING.
DA DA, BABY, BABY, BABY, BABY.
BUT BABY, DON'T LEAVE ME BABY.
BABY GUYS DON'T LEAVE IT BABY.
OH, BABY, BABY BABY, BABY, BABY, BABY, BABY.
STOP IN THE NAME OF LOVE BEFORE YOU BREAK MY HEART.
NONE OF Y'ALL, YOU'RE SECLUDED NIGHTS.
I'VE EVEN SEEN MAYBE ONCE OR TWICE DON'T HER BABY MORE THAN MY LOVE AND AFFECTION.
BUT THIS BEFORE YOU MYS TO HER.
CHAR, HAVEN'T I? GOOD TO YOU TO YOU STOP IN MY NAME.
DON'T YOU ME? DON'T YOU YOU JUST BREAK MY LOVE.
WHAT? THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT.
WHAT YOU DO ON IS WHEN I'M FEEL
[00:15:01]
NOW, IT'S ALMOST GONE.HE SAID IT'S A GAME OF GIVE AND AND TAKE.
TAKE GOD LAY MUST I GIRL MY TAKE CAUSE MY HEART TO A BREAK.
ALL RIGHT, Y'ALL WE'RE GETTING CLOSER TO THE BIG MOMENTS.
FIRST, LET'S WELCOME THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
YOU KNOW WHEN, WHEN, WHEN I SEE YOU HERE IN THIS PLACE, I KNOW THAT THE HOLIDAYS ARE GETTING CLOSER.
WHO'S READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS TO GET HERE AND WHO'S READY TO LIGHT THIS TREE? WELL, WE'RE GETTING CLOSE NOW.
THIS IS, THIS IS A MAGICAL CITY, AUSTIN, TEXAS.
I REALLY BELIEVE THAT IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE CHOSEN TO LIVE HERE.
AND TONIGHT THERE'S NO MORE MAGICAL PLACE IN THIS CITY THAN WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
GETTING READY TO TURN ON THESE LIGHTS.
I WANT TO THANK THE CITY MANAGER AND KIMBERLY MCNELEY.
WE, WE, WE, WE REST BETTER KNOWING THAT WE'RE IN YOUR HANDS AND YOU'RE HELPING TO LEAD THIS CITY.
I DO WANNA TAKE JUST A SECOND PAUSE AND, AND RECOGNIZE SOME PEOPLE INDIVIDUALLY JUST SO THAT YOU, THEY GET A CHANCE TO, TO, TO STAND UP AND WAVE.
THIS IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT I HAVE SPENT UP TO THE LAST EIGHT YEARS WITH WORKING ON A DAILY BASIS.
I HAVE WORKED THIS GROUP WORK 24 7 TO HELP THIS CITY MOVE FORWARD.
AND I WANNA BEGIN BY JUST GIVING A CHANCE TO VERSE ALL TO RECOGNIZE THE MAYOR PRO 10 ALLISON AL.
PAIGE, ALICE COUNCIL MEMBER JUST GOT REELECTED.
COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES WITH US.
THEN THERE ARE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE SERVED THIS CITY, TWO OF THEM FOR EIGHT YEARS, AND ONE OF THEM FOR 11 YEARS.
AND THIS IS GONNA BE THEIR LAST OFFICIAL PARTICIPATION IN THE LIGHTING OF, OF THIS CHRISTMAS TREE.
IN THIS MAGICAL MOMENT, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO HAS BEEN SERVING FOR 11 YEARS AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER AND KITCHEN AND COUNCIL MEMBER PIO ANTHONY AND MY THANKS TOO TO THE TRAIL FOUNDATION, UH, NICHOLAS, ALSO TO JAMES RUSSELL, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THAT FOUNDATION.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK UP AT THAT TREE, IT'S, IT'S A MAGICAL THING THAT WE HAVE IN THIS CITY.
YOU KNOW, IN THE LATE 18 HUNDREDS THERE WERE SEVERAL CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT HAD THESE MOON LIGHTS.
THESE MOON LIGHTS WERE DESIGNED SO THAT SOMEBODY COULD BE ABLE TO READ SOMETHING IN THEIR HAND, 1500 FEET AWAY.
BUT TODAY WERE THE ONLY CITY IN THE COUNTRY THAT STILL HAS THEM.
WE BOUGHT 31 OF THEM FROM DETROIT THAT USED TO BE A MAGICAL CITY.
SORRY IF YOU'RE FROM DETROIT, BUT WHEN THOSE LIGHTS CAME HERE, THE, THE MAGIC WAS PASSED TO AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND WE TAKE THAT, THAT STAR UP TOP IS 10 FEET WIDE.
IF YOU WALK AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THIS TREE, YOU'LL HAVE WALKED FARTHER THAN IF YOU WALK A FOOTBALL FIELD CUZ IT'S OVER 300 FEET.
AND TONIGHT I HAVE SOME HELP IN TURNING ON THIS LIGHT.
THEY'RE GONNA HELP US PRESS THE BUTTON AND, AND MOVE, PUSH DOWN THE LEVER TO, TO TURN ON THE LIGHTS.
AND I WANT TO INTRODUCE THEM TO YOU.
THESE ARE THE SIX YOUNG ARTISTS IN OUR CITY WHO ARE ABOUT TO MAKE AUSTIN JUST A LITTLE BIT BRIGHTER BY TURNING ON THESE LIGHTS.
THESE ARE THE WINNERS OF THE ANNUAL CITYWIDE ZILKER HOLIDAY TREE ART CONTEST.
IN THE JUNIOR CATEGORY, WHICH ARE FOR KIDS AGES FIVE TO SEVEN.
[00:20:01]
WE HAVE ALA VEON FROM ACTON ACADEMY SOUTHWEST I IN SECOND PLACE.IN THE JUNIOR CATEGORY, WE HAVE MIRA BOCA FROM VALOR PUBLIC SCHOOL IN SOUTH AUSTIN.
MIRA AND THE WINNER IN FIRST PLACE IN THIS CATEGORY.
MY COLLEAGUES ARE COMING ON UP HERE TOO.
ALICE IS FROM BECKER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THEN WE HAVE SOME FURTHER HELP HERE IN THE SENIOR CATEGORY.
THESE ARE KIDS AGES EIGHT TO 10 IN THIRD PLACE.
A NAME YOU'RE GONNA RECOGNIZE BECAUSE HIS SISTER IS ALREADY UP HERE.
BUT NEIL BOCA FROM VALOR PUBLIC SCHOOL SOUTHWEST.
IN SECOND PLACE WE HAVE NOAH MITCH FROM BRECKER WOODS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND THE SENIOR FIRST PLACE AGES EIGHT TO 10 IS IRENE ZON FROM DOTS ELEMENTARY.
ALL RIGHT, I'M GONNA COME OVER HERE AND JOIN YOU GUYS AND THEN WE'RE GONNA COUNT IT DOWN.
QUITA, WILL YOU HELP US COUNT IT DOWN? OF COURSE.
ALL RIGHT, ARTISTS, ARE YOU READY TO LIGHT THE TREE? THEY LOOK READY.
IT IS TIME TO OFFICIALLY COUNT DOWN AND START AUSTIN'S 2022 HOLIDAY SEASON.
MAY WE HAVE ALL THE LIGHTS OFF? AND A DRUM ROLL PLEASE? ALL RIGHT NOW, ALL TOGETHER.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
LIKE THE THANK YOU SO MUCH AUSTIN.
ENJOY SOME REFRESHMENTS AND MORE LIFE.