It’s the end of an Edmonton Christmas favourite.
This past weekend marked 50 seasons of the Edmonton Singing Christmas Tree, and on Sunday, the curtain closed on its last show.
The singing tree first started in 1967, with a two-year hiatus in the late 2000s. It raised thousands of dollars for local charities.
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Executive director John Cameron said it came to a natural end but he has big plans for the future.
“The Christmas singing tree structure will be put away for a while but there will be something different for sure,” Cameron said.
“It’s been an amazing journey, being able to continuously improve. Seeing young kids that started in the children’s choir now singing solos on the stage — it really gets me.”
Before the show started, Cameron and other organizers gave the performers a pep talk. People were tearing up and hugging each other before they went on stage to sing in the tree one last time.
“I had this opportunity to be a part of something that contributed so much to the city of Edmonton — not only raising funds but also bringing joy to people that come see the show,” choir member Raffaella Spadafora said.
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The final shows were sold out, with proceeds going to the John Cameron Changing Lives Foundation.
The Singing Christmas Tree has 150 performers in a 35-foot structure.