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• There is Only One Tallest Living Lighted Christmas Tree In the World, and it is in Eureka

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It is ON!

As should have been predicted, the backlash to last week’s bold declaration, by the Sequoia Park Zoo, that the Eureka institution now possessed the tallest living, lighted Christmas tree in the world, has been swift and fierce.

In the first place, Mendocino County partisans quickly jumped in to declare that their lighted living Christmas tree — also a redwood, and located on private property somewhere out in the woods between Willits and Fort Bragg so that you have to pay substantial transportation fees to see it — is even taller. Much taller! Sage Alexander of the Times-Standard was kind enough to give these people voice the other day, if for some reason you care about anything Mendo says.

Closer to home, of course, is the clear target of the Sequoia Park’s tree troll: the Victorian Village of Ferndale, which has long prided itself on its big ol’ downtown spruce and the charming tradition of firing that thing up for the Christmas season. It touts itself as the home of the World’s Tallest Living Lighted Christmas tree, and a few years ago even got into quite a scrap with Couer d’Alene, Idaho over the title.

So if the Zoo thought that Ferndalians were just going to roll over and let themselves get steamrolled by their big-city cousins in Eureka, it was quite mistaken. This isn’t varsity basketball! 

Today, from Ferndale 4-H, comes the reply track. In the first place, 4-H says, a redwood tree is not a Christmas tree. (4-H does not explicitly add the phrases “… obviously” or “… as any idiot could tell you,” but they are implied.)

In the second place, Ferndale’s tree is public and open to all, and they make free cookies and hot cocoa for anyone who wants to come watch them light it up.

In the third place, Ferndale honors America at this event.

In the fourth place, the Zoo, though it possesses several wonderful attractions of its own, looks like a sad loser when tries to rip off its neighbors’ traditions. Or at least that’s how I read the final paragraphs below.

Press release from the Ferndale 4-H Community Pride Project:

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

Of All the trees most lovely……

Ferndale was delighted to celebrate our 90th Christmas Tree Lighting this year. The first Tree Lighting was in 1934 at a time following the Great Depression. It was established to be a beacon of joy and hope for our Community At a time when people were struggling, jobs were scarce and living conditions difficult

This tradition has been handed down over almost 100 years to local residents, as a task to cherish.

For many years, our Ferndale 4-H Community Pride Project Group has been taking care of this most wonderful event of the year. We start planning in September. There is a long list of things to-do to make this event happen, with a lot of wonderful help from members of our local town, too.

We get busy making our lists

Checking them twice

Gotta get ready for all our visitors, naughty or nice!

We invite all who attend to sing Christmas Carols with us.

We salute our American Flag, and we invite our Boys & Girl Scout Group as an honor guard, along with our 4-H flag in the countdown to lighting our Tree.

Sometimes even Santa finds time to visit from the North Pole.

Our event is free for everyone to attend. We bake hundreds and hundreds of cookies and whisk up hot cocoa for all to enjoy, again free of charge. It is an evening of fellowship. Welcoming visitors from near and far. Sharing our beautifully lit town, twinkling with thousands of lights.

Our Humboldt County is a beautiful place to live. Traditions are important and Community support is what makes us special.

We were disappointed to see the Sequoia Park Zoo declare that they now have the Tallest Living Christmas Tree.

The Zoo has a lot of great attributes, including the lovely Skywalk, beautifully illuminated now with lights. It will attract many visitors and can be enjoyed by many local residents.

Redwood Trees are not considered Christmas Trees. We will continue to declare that we have the Tallest Living Christmas Tree. We hope the Sequoia Park Zoo can create their own title, separate from ours, with an eye to lifting up all our neighboring towns in Humboldt. We hope they can support all of our traditions, while still creating holiday magic for the community.

Each of our towns can be a beacon of Joy, Hope and Light during the Holiday season.

Merry Christmas to All And to All A Good Night.

Community Pride Project Group
Ferndale 4-H

Liz Klopper - Project Leader & Co-Community Leader
Courtney Sousa - Community Pride Project Leader