The Centerpiece for Cincinnati Community Celebrations
Bedecked in lights and steeped in history, Cincinnati's holiday tree is back at Fountain Square this winter to serve as the centerpiece for the Queen City's holiday season celebrations!
For over 100 years, Fountain Square has played host for Cincinnati's holiday tree. The first community tree, sponsored by Cincinnati Women's Club, arrived at Fountain Square in 1913 and just a few years later, the city of Cincinnati and eventually 3CDC assumed the responsibility and honor of placing the tree at Fountain Square each winter.
The decades-long tradition lives on today at Fountain Square. The holiday tree continues to bring Cincinnati locals and visitors alike together in the heart of Downtown to celebrate the history and vibrancy of our city and community throughout the holiday season and be apart of lasting memories for so many.
This year, 3CDC is continuing its longstanding partnership with Duke Energy to make both the 2025 Holiday Tree and beloved Light Up the Square event possible.
The 2025 Duke Energy Holiday Tree is a stunning, 52-foot Concolor Fir from Traverse City Michigan. The tree's beauty will be on full-display all season long but especially at Duke Energy's Light Up The Square event on November 28th when thousands will gather at Fountain Square to light the tree for the first time and symbolically kick off the holiday season in our city.
Teamwork makes the Holiday Tree Dream Work
Since the 2006 redevelopment of Fountain Square, 3CDC has partnered with companies from across Cincinnati and beyond to continue the beloved holiday tree tradition in the heart of Downtown Cincinnati. While so many Fountain Square visitors delight in the tree's seemingly magic appearance overnight, the reality is that months of work and coordination take place every year for the holiday tree to appear in its place on the southwest corner of The Square.
The festive undertaking starts months before the holiday season, when team members scour Ohio in search of the perfect tree to act as the crown jewel in the Queen City's Holiday celebrations. Our partners from O'Rourke Wrecking Company take the reins during the first week in November and carefully prepare and wrap the tree to make its journey to Cincinnati. Upon arrival to town, the O’Rourke team hoists the massive tree into place on the tree stand.
With the tree safely in its stand, the team can start beautifying! Once up the crew fluffs every branch and strings over 25,000 dazzling LED lights. Finally, the team adds the final touch - a showstopping 14-point star!
Cincinnati is fortunate to have a wonderful group of sponsors so dedicated to bringing this tradition to life every year for the Cincinnati Community. Thank you to Duke Energy and O'Rourke Wrecking Company for making this year’s tree possible.
Star of The Show
In 2022, Fountain Square unveiled the first new holiday star in over 15 years. The stunning, custom made, 14-point star was hand crafted in Cincinnati by contemporary artist, blacksmith, and owner of Iron Belle Metal Deigns, Jordan Graff!
