Plainfield family donates their tree for Joliet’s 2022 Christmas tree

Ever since Megan DeCristoforo moved into her Plainfield home, she’s longed to donate her 35-foot Colorado spruce to the city of Joliet for its official city center Christmas tree.

DeCristoforo lives on the Joliet/Plainfield border with her husband, Carlos Luna, and children Leo, 10, and Valentina, 2. She’d tried giving the tree to the city in the past but never reached the right person, she said. This year DeCristoforo doggedly made those calls – and her “squeaky wheel” paid off, she said.

“It’s a dream come true,” DeCristoforo said.

DeCristoforo said she had good reasons for keeping the tree. It was very large, covered half her house and added value to her home, she said. But DeCristoforo had better reasons for donating it.

“I wanted to give back to our community because I love our community and I love where we live,” DeCristoforo said. “And I wanted to be part of history. I wanted my kids to see that and have that as a beautiful story that we’ll always have.”

Jim Tieber, arborist for the city of Joliet, said DeCristoforo’s tree was the first tree he looked at this year. It was straight and he knew the trunk would fit in the city’s 19-inch tree stand and not move, Tieber said. Nor would the trunk need to be shaved “like a toothpick,” he said.

“I called her and said, ‘That’s the tree. No doubt about it,” Tieber said and later adding, “It was a really nice tree, symmetrical, perfect all the way around.”

Tieber said Arbor Tek Landscape Services Inc. removed the tree at a very low cost, DeBold Topsoil & Trucking donated the trailer and members from the Chellino Crane company donated most of their time to lift the tree and set it in downtown Joliet.

DeCristoforo’s tree was cut down about 8 a.m. Friday, loaded onto a flatbed and brought to the Joliet City Center with police escort, said Priscilla Cordero, executive director of the Joliet City Center Partnership.

The city of Joliet’s public works department will string the lights on the tree, Cordero said. Then at 5:15 p.m. Nov. 25, the tree will be lit before the 24th annual “Light up the Holidays parade in downtown Joliet begins, she said.

Cordero said about 80 organizations will participate in the parade. Before the tree lighting ceremony, the Joliet Central Madrigal Singers will perform, she said.

“Light Up the Holidays Festival and Parade” is hosted by the Joliet City Center Partnership and sponsored by the University of St. Francis.

The Joliet City Center Partnership also created a time lapse drone video of the tree being set up and it shared on social media, Cordero said.

Cordero said new features for the festival this year include a North Pole Christmas Market from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Joliet Renaissance Center, 214 N. Ottawa St., and horse-drawn carriage rides around the Rialto Square Theatre from 2 to 5 p.m.

A North Pole park across the street from the Rialto will have free activities for families from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Activities include an iceless skating rink with free skate rentals available, an ice carving demonstration, a giant inflatable snow globe and a curling rink.

In addition, the Joliet Public Library will host kids crafts and family photo opportunities, Santa will visit Jitters Coffee House from 4:30 p.m. until the parade begins and the Joliet Area Historical Museum will offer free admission all day.

“We really wanted to make this the best year ever,” Cordero said. “We want to bring people downtown and give people the best possible experience we can give people.”

For information on the “Light Up the Holidays Festival and Parade, visit jolietccp.com.