Decorated with a 60-foot Norway spruce Christmas tree and its very own outdoor ice-skating rink, Clinton Square is the Syracuse equivalent to Rockefeller Center’s iconic holiday setting.

Thursday’s annual tree lighting ceremony brought thousands of families to the square and featured live entertainment and appearances by local personalities to help kick off the holiday season. Attendees even got to witness a special surprise from one happy couple.

Todd Emmons asked his long-time girlfriend Megan Prosser to marry him in front of the Clauses, the mayor and thousands of Syracuse area residents. Emmons worked for months to pull this off, and said that the tree lighting will certainly become an annual tradition for the newly engaged couple.

Community member Alan Matte described the Clinton Square tree lighting tradition as “exciting” and “unifying,” highlighting how the people of Syracuse come together as one to enjoy the festivities.

“Not only was it a perfect evening for the season, but my family and I were able to witness a flawless and well-thought-out proposal. My 7-year-old daughter was thrilled,” Matte said. He returned to ice skate with his family Sunday afternoon, and said that they will be back as much as possible before Christmas. The proposal that Matte described was truly something to remember, he said.

The Thursday evening entertainment started in Clinton Square at 6:30 p.m. with performances by local vocalists Joey Nigro and John Nilsen. They were followed by the Brownskin Band, who then welcomed Mr. and Mrs. Claus to the stage. Kathy Rowe and Shannon Thannhauser of Y94 FM emceed the ceremony.

But the real entertainment of the night was the tree lighting ceremony. This year, it was a group effort of Mayor Stephanie Miner, Chief of Police Frank L. Fowler, Chief of Fire Paul M. Linnertz, Chief of Staff Bill Ryan and the winners of the mayor’s letter writing contest.

Following this portion of the ceremony, the public joined Miner for a reception at City Hall. Individuals were invited to take photos with her, Fowler and Linnertz, as well as with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. The crowd was also entertained by the Syracuse Brigadiers Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps and the Stan Colella All-Star Band while enjoying light refreshments.

Many people took advantage of the skating rink Thursday evening before and after the ceremony. People bundled up, gathered with their families and enjoyed skating throughout the weekend, too, despite the temperatures in the low-to-mid 20s.

Jane Holland, a mother of three young girls, said the tree lighting ceremony has become a family tradition.

“My husband, my girls and I had been looking forward to the ceremony since the beginning of November. It’s a great environment, and the community really comes together to celebrate the Christmas season,” Holland said, who is from a neighboring city, DeWitt. “Not to mention that Santa and Mrs. Claus looked like the real deal. My family had a great night.”

Clinton Square is easily accessible by the Connective Corridor and will remain open through the holidays.

 

 

 

Festival of lights
After a few laps around the ice rink, visitors can take in the large menorah on display in Clinton Square, set up to celebrate Hanukkah. Now in its 32nd year, the menorah lighting ceremony is free and open to the public and is held on each of the holiday’s eight nights. The Chabad House-Lubavitch of Central New York sponsors the event, which will conclude on Thursday, Dec. 5.

Published on December 2, 2013 at 12:11 am

Contact Zoe: zmalliar@syr.edu