Redding’s newest holiday tradition began Tuesday (Nov. 24, 2009) with the festive lighting of nearly four dozen palm trees along the Hilltop Drive medians.

A total of 46 trees inside 12 medians were wrapped with nearly 13,000 energy-saving LED holiday lights to brighten the newly beautified boulevard for the holiday season. The Redding Electric Utility and the Hilltop Drive hoteliers have partnered to create this new community amenity.

The last of the utility poles that once dotted the thoroughfare were removed by crews on Monday (Nov. 23, 2009), enhancing the beauty of the street.

This spectacular visual treat marks the culmination of nearly six years of teamwork on the part of Hilltop businesses, REU and the Redding Redevelopment Agency to beautify the Hilltop Drive corridor. The $5.1 million project included extensive streetscape improvements, including landscaped medians, streetside planters, new paving and crosswalks, and undergrounding of utility lines and removal of poles. The project was funded through a partnership of REU, RRA and Hilltop Drive hoteliers.

The tree-lighting complements a week of holiday events sponsored by Hilltop Drive merchants beginning Dec. 13 that will include a food and toy drive, horse-drawn hay rides, raffles and business decoration contest.

Meanwhile, in Downtown Redding, the annual Christmas tree lighting will take place on Dec. 4 with the holiday parade on Dec. 5. As in past years, REU crews helped erect the 90-foot white fir Christmas tree and adorn it with lights. In past years, REU crews also have decorated the Cypress Avenue Bridge with holiday lights, although construction of a replacement bridge has ended that tradition.

The Hilltop tree lighting provides a dramatic example of the savings of LEDs or light emitting diodes. The cost of electricity to burn the 184 strings of lights for approximately six hours every night is just $12 for an entire month, according to Dave Jackson, REU Energy Services Account Manager. Comparable incandescent holiday lights would cost approximately $96 for that same period of time, he said.

Photos courtesy of Skip Murphy