Berkeley's Tree Lighting Celebration
with Buy Local Berkeley
See the video of 2008's event at youtube
Produced by Another Bullwinkel Show, the 2009 Berkeley's Tree Lighting Celebration on the first Monday after Thanksgiving drew a crowd of about 500, and kicked off Buy Local Berkeley Week. This event promoted the city-wide raffle featuring prizes at around 100 businesses all around Berkeley and a grand prize of 12 nights out to “dinner and a show”.
Topping off the night was the lighting of a gigantic redwood tree behind the Civic Center building and encircling the fountain with luminarias made by the children. Festivities included a tap dancing reindeer, Berkeley High orchestra, a candy-toting Santa Claus who arrived on a Berkeley Fire Department hook and ladder truck, free crafts for the kids, gingerbread house making and other exciting entertainment including a round of carols by the Berkeley City Council Chorus. The event was sponsored by the Downtown Berkeley Association, the City of Berkeley, North Shattuck Association, the Telegraph Avenue Business Improvement District, the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, Visit Berkeley, and Buy Local Berkeley.
The kickoff of Buy Local Berkeley week was especially important in today's difficult economy, according to Berkeley Economic Development Director Michael Caplan. "When you spend a dollar at local businesses, it circulates throughout the community," Caplan told the crowd at the holiday festival. "There are over 250 businesses involved and we hope to have about 500 by the end of next year. It's really important in these times to spend your money in Berkeley." And, according to the Buy Local Berkeley web site at www.buylocalberkeley.com, for every $100 spent in Berkeley, $68 of that will re-circulate within the local economy. Many communities like Berkeley are embracing this type of campaign to allow profits to benefit the communities rather than going outside.