Key Moments
in the History of the East Harlem Holiday Tree.
2004
First East Harlem Holiday Tree, conceived of by Hector Santana and Jose Carrero of the East Harlem Board of Tourism and installed at Franklin Plaza. Grateful thanks to the FP board for its support over the years. FP board member Lillian Bent is also a tree committee advisory group member.
2005
First media coverage of East Harlem Holiday Tree in Tiempo.
2008
The East Harlem Board of Tourism having ceased operations, a group of former members decides to keep the holiday tree tradition alive. Hope Community agrees to serve as fiscal sponsor for the newly formed East Harlem Holiday Tree Committee. Hope staffers Carmen Vasquez and Eve Valenzuela become valuable members of the tree committee.
2009
The theme for sixth annual East Harlem Holiday Tree was Celebrating el Sabor del Barrio. The neighborhood’s small businesses rallied to the cause with special discounts for the three-week period when the tree was in place. An East Harlem Taste Trolley, with comedian Victor Cruz as emcee, transported visitors to participating restaurants on the day of the tree lighting.
Rodriquez and Valenzuela Devine, 2010
2011
East Harlem Business Capital Corporation serves as fiscal sponsor for the East Harlem Holiday Tree Committee.
2012
City Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito lends in-kind support to the tree committee, and her Chief of Staff Melinda Velez’s graphic design skills give the flyers and posters a professional look.
Local artist Genevieve Andre, who joined the tree committee in late 2011, takes on the job of curating the decorations for the holiday tree and creates magical ornaments from recycled plastic bottles.
2013
Union Settlement Association serves as fiscal sponsor for the East Harlem Holiday Tree Committee. Tree committee member Gina Rusch is an important tree supporter and also on the board of USA.
To mark the 10th anniversary of the holiday tree, the tree committee hosted a Posada Navidena at Union Settlement Association.
2014
Applebee’s, East River Plaza, begins to host the post-tree lighting reception for tree committee members and funders.
Left to right, Tree Committee members Eve Valenzuela and Carmen Vasquez with State Assembly member Robert Rodriguez and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito
2015
The tree committee places a giant snowflake at the intersection of Third Avenue and 106th Street, beginning a tradition of street decorations for the holidays.
2016 Tree
2017
The 23rd Precinct has supported the holiday tree effort from the beginning, providing barricades around the tree and helping with crowd control at the lighting ceremony. In 2017 it began an annual tradition of giving out toys at the tree lighting event.
Officers from the 23rd Precinct distributing toys, 2017
2018
Aurora Flores joins the tree committee, bringing both her music and her PR experience. She lands the first TV feature—Joe Torres’s Tiempo on ABC—on which committee members Carmen Vasquez and Genevieve Andre appeared.
We celebrated the 15th birthday of the holiday tree and featured a Quincineara theme. Instead of a snowflake we featured a golden crown at the intersection of Third Avenue and 106th Street.
NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer issued a special Commendation to the tree committee in honor of the 15th holiday tree.
The tree committee honored Ponce Bank President Carlos Naudon for the bank’s many years supporting the holiday tree.
2019
Egan Acres Tree Farm, which had provided the tree every year since 2004, could not continue. But they found a wonderful replacement in Greg’s Trees.
This holiday tree lighting event was the WETTEST EVER! But no one was kept away by the rain.
Allied Integrated Marketing staff gave out Star Wars posters and other memorabilia in advance of the opening of the film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
2020
Due to COVID-19, the tree committee held its first virtual tree lighting event. Aurora Flores and Bertha Palenzuela created a marvelous paen to East Harlem. Tree committee member and dancer Sandra Rivera created a special dance for the video.
The tree was the most beautiful to date!