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Christmas tree ready for Moonlight Madness

Each year the Town of Stettler ensures that the Main Street has the tallest Christmas tree, decorated and ready for the festive season.
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Curtis Benoit

Just a week before one of Stettler's biggest events, Moonlight Madness, there is a bustle on Main Street. The 37-feet Christmas tree goes up and the Town of Stettler employees start putting up lights and decorating it.

One of the main attractions in town, donning the Christmas spirit and spreading cheer, the tree has been a mainstay for years now.

"This year we got the tree from one of the houses in Grand View and its a lot bigger than last year," said Curtis Benoit, one of the town employees who has been been working hard at getting the tree ready this past week. "We will start with the decorations tomorrow morning but it won't take that long we're hoping."

Missing their chief decorator, Glenn Turgen, who is in Mexico now, Ivan Wilford, the other decorator said, "We've really been lucky this year. The weather is beautiful."

According to Wilford, he has witnessed Turgen put up the tree and lights at subzero temperatures earlier, so relatively they are happy that the weather cooperated with them.

The Christmas tree has 2,400 feet of lights and once decoration is complete, it would have taken Benoit and Wilford, seven continuous days of work.

Tomorrow, Nov. 25 at 6 p.m., Citizens of the Year, Bonnie and Donnie Lynn, will light up the tree. Santa Claus will be visiting under the tree till 7 p.m., after which he will be at the Wells Furniture till 8 p.m.

Stettler Independent is also collecting Santa's letters to send them off to North Pole, so please stop by to drop them off.