NEW in 2023!
Branson has long been famous for its backdrop of natural Ozarks beauty in juxtaposition to the bright lights and neon excitement of the live shows and attractions that fill the 76 Entertainment District. This holiday season, the 2023 Community Christmas Tree will celebrate that perfect balance of nature and neon, and it’s just one stop on a new Christmas tree treasure hunt and interactive mobile adventure that debuts on November 1.
The Branson Christmas Coalition is responsible for producing both new holiday experiences. Dubbed, “Evergreen and Ever Glowing,” this year’s Community Christmas Tree is set to be a colorful spectacle from top to bottom with warm white, strobe, and synchronized, multi-color, morphing lights (5,926 LEDs in all!) plus a new, neon sign on its base wishing the world a very “Merry Ozark Mountain Christmas.” Giant pinecones will add a beautiful natural accent to the tree’s 196 faux evergreen branches and topper. This 39’ display pays tribute to the unique balance between nature and neon, one of the enduring appeals of the Branson area. The Branson Community Christmas Tree will be located in front of the Branson Ferris Wheel at 3335 West 76 Country Boulevard from November 2 (its first lighting) until the end of the Ozark Mountain Christmas season on January 7, 2024.
“This year’s tree is both timeless and trendy,” explains Ann McDowell, Executive Director of the Branson Christmas Coalition, a non-profit organization that has been working to grow and enhance the holiday season in this area since 2015. “Walls of greenery with neon messages have become very popular lately across the country in all sorts of gathering spaces. Since Branson has been an amazing combination of nature and neon for over 50 years, we decided to jump on this trend to celebrate a continuing hallmark of our region.”
The Branson Christmas Coalition formed in 2015 with the goal to increase visitation to the region in November and December, a period that had shown little growth for Branson, especially compared to other destinations around the country. This volunteer group worked to determine what the community could do together that would increase interest and intent to visit from traveling consumers, while also enhancing the look and feel of Christmas in Branson. Partially as a result of these efforts, the area has grown by 400,000 holiday visits since 2015.
The new addition of “America’s Christmas Tree Trail” will encourage the ever-growing number of holiday visitors to explore the area, see more than 25 of the town’s biggest, brightest, and most unique Christmas trees, and complete various activities along the way. Challenges will include finding a neon cloud, butterfly, musical note or other icon in the branches of a Christmas tree, answering questions or taking photos at some of the tree locations. Participants will earn points and online stickers for visiting trees and successfully completing challenges. The free, downloadable app and game will be available starting November 1, 2023.
For more information on the Branson Christmas Coalition, the 2023 Community Christmas Tree “Evergreen and Ever Glowing” and “America’s Christmas Tree Trail,” sign up for our enewsletter on the home page of this website. To make plans for a visit to Branson for the holidays, go to www.ExploreBranson.com