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Merriment on Main tree arrives on foggy morning

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If anything could symbolize the start of the holiday season during the tumultuous year that is 2021, it could be seen at the intersection of Davis and Main streets Monday.

Amid a cloudy backdrop on a misty Monday morning, a 45-foot white fir emerged lying on the bed of a truck emerged from the fog, was hoisted upright by Public Works crews and installed in its usual spot at the Three Flags Monument, ushering in the start of the holiday season, just as it has for the last 39 years. Soon the tree will be decorated and lit and bring some much-needed merriment to not only Main Street but the entire city as well.

To paraphrase singer Eddie K Ka’anoi, it is now Christmas in Vacaville.

The Merriment on Main tree arrived as scheduled around 6:30 a.m. Monday. Typically, the tree serves as a prelude to a large annual gathering with live music, vendors and the lighting of the tree by Santa Claus. However, because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the event has been canceled for the second year in a row.

Richard Rico, Merriment on Main founder and former owner and publisher of The Reporter, takes a photo with his iPhone as the 50-foot Christmas Tree is moved into place at the Three Flags Monument Monday in downtown Vacaville.(Joel Rosenbaum / The Reporter)

However, that does not mean the spirit the event usually provides will be absent. The tree that serves as a centerpiece for Merriment on Main is now standing in its usual spot, having been delivered by Carlton Christmas Trees in Burney — the same vendor that has supplied trees every year for Merriment since its inception in 1983. It will also be decorated and lit as usual.

“Even though a lot of things have changed, there are some things that remain consistent,” Lisa Rico, member of the Merriment on Main board, said. “This tree at the end of Main Street is one of them.”

Surrounding streets were blocked off to traffic as Public Works crews assisted with the installation, which went off without a hitch. Jennifer Hamilton, vice president of the Merriment board, said it is always a joy to watch the tree get lifted the bed of a truck to the Three Flags Monument, where it will remain in place until Jan. 1. Watching the tree’s arrival is a tradition.

“We’re here every year, but as long as everybody shows up, we just get to sit back and watch it,” she said.

John Mahan from Carlton Christmas Trees drove 215 miles from Shasta County to deliver the tree. Despite the fog, he said it was an easy trip.

“Everything went smooth, no problem,” he said.

Using hand signals, Wallace Aweau, Parks Supervisor for the Vacaville Public Works Department indicates how much more the tree needs to be moved so it is evenly lined up with the flag poles Monday in Downtown Vacaville.(Joel Rosenbaum / The Reporter)

Mahan estimates that the tree is 45 feet, approximately 4,500 pounds and around 25 years old. It is not the only tree Carlton is delivering this season, as Mahan will be delivering Roseville’s tree Wednesday for its annual tree lighting, and he has already delivered trees to Pier 39 and the 555 California Street building in San Francisco.

Mahan likes the fact that the tree deliveries bring Christmas cheer to different communities.

“It’s always an adventure,” he said. “It sets the Christmas season off for me and my family.”

Rico said the tree this year is beautiful and particularly liked the shape of it.

“Sometimes, there’s a couple of holes, like normal,” she said. “This one is just stunning.”

The Merriment on Main tradition was started in 1983 by Rico’s husband, Richard, then-publisher of The Reporter who wanted to give back to the community during the newspaper’s 100th anniversary. Recalling a live tree in the same spot that had been decorated every year during his youth, Richard decided that would be a suitable gift.

That first year, the tree did not have an event attached to it, but the gathering was added later and grew in size each year as Vacaville also grew in population.

While there is no gathering this year, Hamilton encourages people to stop by the tree and even take pictures in front of it if they want.

“I hope the community finds an opportunity to come down and enjoy the tree,” she said. “We wish that the circumstances were different and we had the ability to hold such a large event. The community loving the tree lighting and it being so popular is part of why it’s hard right now, but it’s really just a reminder to us how important this tree is to Vacaville and what it means to everybody.”

Hamilton said the tree represents the start of the holiday seasons, and the decorations and lights symbolize brightness, even during a dim period for the world.

According to the Merriment on Main’s Board of Directors, in order to keep the community safe for future celebrations, the annual celebration has been canceled this year, but the tree will be decorated and lit in the coming weeks.(Joel Rosenbaum / The Reporter)

“It’s a symbol of the season that’s coming,” she said. “That hasn’t changed, even though the circumstances are a little different.”

Hamilton hopes to have the tree decorated within the next week and lit not long after that. As next year is the 40th year of Merriment on Main, she said planning for festivities has already begun.

Lisa Rico said the generosity of sponsors makes Merriment on Main possible. This year’s sponsors include the city of Vacaville, The Reporter, Summit Crane, I-80 Forklift, Recology, Kaiser Permanente, McGuire Capital Group Realty, Vacaville Opera House, Yin McDonald’s, Triad Lagoon Valley, Syar Industries, Old Republic Title, Suihkonen CPA, Rapisarda Real Estate, Vacaville Convalescent Rehabilitation Center and Pena Adobe Dental Care.


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