Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Mishawaka Friday night to see the city light its 55-foot tree.
Santa made a special appearance riding in on the city's new fire truck. The tree was taken from a city owned lot and moved to its new location. It has more than 10,000 lights covering it.
Many parents say the event helps show children the true meaning of the season.
"Everybody's been talking about the commercialization of everything and kind of desensitize our kids to all of that,” said Tammy Schrader. “So I think this really helps. It makes it feel more like a family, I think."
Two Mishawaka High School athletes got to flip the switch to light the tree: Caveman quarterback Sam Schrader and state championship cross country runner Anna Rohrer.
