Chicago's 2024 Christmas tree is 53-foot Colorado blue spruce from Logan Square. (Photo by Lori Sapio, courtesy of the Holden-Shaddick family)
Chicago has its official Christmas tree for 2024 and it’s a true city original, containing a significant amount of community history.
The 53-foot Colorado blue spruce was donated by the Holden-Shaddick family of Logan Square, who inherited the tree when they purchased the historic Spencer Kimbell home in 2021.
The spruce was planted 50 years ago by the late Jim Mulligan, a stalwart of the Logan Square neighborhood along with his wife Patricia. The couple owned the Kimbell house for decades, and Jim is about to be memorialized with an honorary street sign.
Who’s Kimbell? Well, the Kimbells were among the earliest settlers of what’s now Logan Square. When Chicago annexed the land in the late 1800s, officials famously converted Kimbell to Kimball as streets were renamed.
You can impress friends and strangers alike with these fun facts while visiting the Kimbell-Mulligan-Holden-Shaddick tree in Millennium Park, where it will be the focal point of Chicago’s holiday celebrations.
The tree lighting ceremony will take place Nov. 22, with the tree on display near Michigan Avenue and Washington Street through Jan. 8.
Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
