Community News

Volunteers Needed! The Del Ray Christmas Tree and Menorah Lighting is on Dec. 8!

This year's Del Ray Christmas tree is bigger than ever before.

Alexandria, VA – Get into the spirit of the holidays on Dec. 8 for the annual Del Ray Christmas Tree and Menorah lighting! It’s the kind of event where you’ll definitely want to dress warmly, despite the warmth that the spirit of the season will bring to you and your family.

The event is still 100 volunteers short, and that means that the community needs help decorating, setting and lighting luminaries, and cleanup after the event.

“It has been another wonderful year in Del Ray and we all feel so blessed to have such great businesses with such great support from the community and City,” wrote Gayle Reuter, one of the queens of Del Ray and board member of the Del Ray Business Association, in an email. “It attracts an extremely large crowd, so please allow extra time to find parking [if you’re not walking].”

At 35 feet tall, this year’s Del Ray Christmas tree is bigger than ever before. The tree was donated to the community by local restauranteurs Bill Blackburn and “Mango” Mike Anderson, who found it at the Naughty Pine Nursery in Dickerson, Md.

Don’t Miss: Success! Mike Anderson and Bill Blackburn Found the 2019 Del Ray Christmas Tree in the Air!

All About the Luminaries 

Luminaries along Mount Vernon Avenue in memory of Nancy Dunning. (Photo: James Cullum)

Another holiday tradition is the lighting of thousands of luminaries along Mount Vernon Avenue. The luminaries are lit every year in memory of Alexandria’s Nancy Dunning, and Dunning’s niece Kate Moran will take the stage and lead the community in singing holiday songs. Additionally, donations will be collected in Dunning’s name for Carpenter’s Shelter.

Best Decorated Tree 
After the festivities, take a walk along Mount Vernon Avenue to see the dozen Christmas trees that have been set up outside of businesses. You can vote on the best decorated tree at VisitDelRay.com until Dec. 25. The trees have been decorated by local nonprofits, and the winners of the Peoples Choice and Judges Choice awards will be awarded cash prizes of $500 apiece.
See you there! Happy Holidays! 

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