![\"Bethlehem](\"https:\/\/static.lehigh-v.lehigh-valley.production.k1.m1.brightspot.cloud\/dims4\/default\/197f2ff\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/1058x595+0+0\/resize\/880x495!\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flehigh-valley-brightspot.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2F63%2F09%2F7ef50320411dbd6747d48833edc6%2Fchristmastree.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBETHLEHEM, Pa. \u2014 David and Jessica Simoes loved the tree.<\/p>\n
They absolutely loved it from the moment they moved into their home on Pickwick Place in Bethlehem Township 12 years ago.<\/p>\n
The now-43-foot spruce in the front yard was bold and full and exuded the spirit of Christmas. Their son, Anthony, 9, adored it.<\/p>\n
The family had no plans to remove the tree in the foreseeable future \u2014 until that knock on their door last month.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said, \u2018You know, we\u2019d love to have your tree be the city tree.’ And I’m like, \u2018Oh, OK.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Jessica Simoes<\/p>\n
\u201cGreg [Cryder, Bethlehem Electrical Bureau Chief] knocked on our door a couple of weeks ago,\u201d Jessica Simoes said. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe said, \u2018You know, we\u2019d love to have your tree be the city tree.’ And I’m like, \u2018Oh, OK.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
After family discussions on what to do, the Simoes arrived at this conclusion: The warm feelings their tree engendered should be shared with the community.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday morning, the Simoes and many onlookers watched as the giant spruce was delivered and set into place at Payrow Plaza between city hall and the library.<\/p>\n
25,000 to 30,000 lights, star on top<\/p>\n
The tree was cut down on Wednesday morning in about an hour, set on a flatbed and given a police escort to Payrow Plaza, which for the past 25 years has been the venue for Bethlehem’s city Christmas tree.<\/p>\n
Bethlehem’s annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony will be at 5 p.m. Nov. 28.<\/p>\n
Bethlehem City Hall<\/p>\n
City workers and Dickinson & Sons Crane Service, of Reading, placed the 43-foot-high and nearly 6,000-pound spruce tree into a green metal stand.<\/p>\n
Beginning Friday and throughout next week, four city workers will spend six to eight hours a day adorning the tree with 25,000 to 30,000 LED colored lights. <\/p>\n
A 3D star with a soft-white glow will be placed at its top.<\/p>\n
Bethlehem’s annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony will be at 5 p.m. Nov. 28.<\/p>\n
The event will consist of live carols and music, an appearance by Santa and cookies and crafts.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Phil Gianficaro<\/p>\n
\/<\/p>\n
LehighValleyNews.com<\/p>\n
The 2025 Bethlehem Christmas tree is delivered to Payrow Plaza on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025.<\/p>\n
‘The experience of donating it’<\/p>\n
The search for the Bethlehem Christmas tree is an annual seek-and-find expedition for Cryder.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m always driving around looking for a tree that would be good for the city\u2019s tree,\u201d he said. \u201cI was looking and looking, then I saw this one.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the Simoes moved into the home 13 years ago, the tree, planted by the previous owners, already was eight years old.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut even though the city wanted it, I was happy to keep it another four or five years. But in the end, Jess sold me on the experience of donating it.\u201d<\/p>\n
David Simoes, Bethlehem Township<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were actually going to pay to have it trimmed back a little bit this year,\u201d David Simoes said. \u201cWe did it once already this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut even though the city wanted it, I was happy to keep it another four or five years.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut in the end, Jess sold me on the experience of donating it.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Thursday, the city will erect a second Christmas tree \u2014 this one donated by a private resident in Hellertown \u2014 at the ramp at 2nd Avenue.<\/p>\n
This Christmas, the Simoeses will look out into an empty yard with a bit of sadness.<\/p>\n
However, they should be comforted knowing their tree will be filling those in their community with so much joy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BETHLEHEM, Pa. \u2014 David and Jessica Simoes loved the tree. They absolutely loved it from the moment they…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":25877,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[16940,153,16942,16941,16946,155,154,16944,9491,16945,16943],"class_list":["post-25876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-2025-bethlehem-christmas-tree","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-christmas-tree","tag-bethlehem-christmas-tree-payrow-plaza","tag-bethlehem-city-electrician","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news","tag-dickinson-sons-crane-service","tag-greg-cryder","tag-of-reading","tag-pa-christmas-tree"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25876","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25876"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25876\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25876"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25876"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25876"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}