REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - Christmas has officially arrived in Rehoboth Beach, and for the first time in two years, the city's holiday tree is standing tall without any setbacks.
The tree was donated by the state and came from the Tharros site in Lewes. After two consecutive years of tree troubles, this year's installation went smoothly.
Harry Caswell LLC, Delmarva Power and the city’s Streets Department assisted in the removal, transferring and installation of the tree.
"It brings joy to the town. You can see them, we were coming in town and everybody was you know filming it. It's a lot of fun," said Harry Caswell. "Nobody really wanted to donate a tree this year. The two that we found weren't that great. So I've been all in on this tree for about a year."
Last year, the tree was knocked down by high winds overnight. The city said the ring on the anchor snapped at the weld of the 5,000 pound tree.
In 2023, the holiday tree snapped during installation as workers lifted it off a trailer. A city spokesperson said dryness may have been the cause. Despite the damage, two-thirds of the original 40-foot tree was salvaged and displayed at 25 feet tall.
This year’s successful installation marks a welcome change for the holiday season. The Christmas tree now stands tall beside the bandstand, where it will be the centerpiece of Rehoboth Beach’s annual tree lighting event on Friday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. Festivities are preceded by a sing-along by Clear Space Theater beginning at 6:30 p.m.
