This year, a verdant 53-foot Colorado Blue Spruce from Logan Square has been christened the 111th official arboreal beacon of holiday cheer. According to NBC Chicago, the Holden-Shaddick family offered the titanic tree, which will add to Chicago's festive skyline later this month.

Hailing from the historic Home of Spencer Kimball grounds, the tree has stood sentinel for 50 years, a legacy planted by community influencer Jim Mulligan. In a gesture that mirrors the yuletide spirit, while one tree leaves Logan Square, it will be replaced, times twelve, with new plantings courtesy of a collaboration between Chicago's Bureau of Forestry and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, effectively making a positive environmental footprint. "We would love to dedicate their family tree as the 2024 Chicago Christmas as an additional honor and thank you to the family for their impact on our city," stated the Holden-Shaddick's in their tree nomination letter, as detailed by NBC Chicago.

The journey of this tree from domestic roots to public spectacle starts with its removal on Friday and its relocation to Millennium Park on a flatbed truck come Monday morning. Millennial Park spectators can witness Millennium Park's transition into a wintry wonderland as it receives its towering holiday centerpiece.

As tradition dictates, Chicagoans can expect the grand illumination of the tree at the Tree Lighting Ceremony on Nov. 22, with festivities scheduled for a 6 p.m. kickoff. After being lit, the tree will serve as an iconic backdrop to a suite of holiday festivities including the popular holiday market and the harmonious return of the holiday sing-along, held each Friday between Dec. 6 and Dec. 20, as WGN-TV reported.