'Gorgeous' Christmas tree lit up at Roxbury Bandshell

Katie Smolen, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·1 min read

Dec. 6—The Roxbury Bandshell Preservation Alliance started its Christmas season on Sunday evening by lighting up a Christmas tree at the bandshell.

Mary Borkow, president of the alliance, said the event is in its 15th year. It featured musical performances and a visit from Santa Claus.

"This is our thank you to the community for supporting us all year," she said. "We always do a live Christmas tree, and of course I always think that our tree is nicer than Rockefeller Center's."

To mark the event's 15th year, the alliance obtained its largest tree yet, Borkow said.

"We decided this year to have the largest tree, so this tree is probably about 37 feet, and it was such a struggle to get it here, but we're so proud of it. It's just so gorgeous," she said.

This year, the tree has been donated by Joe Kanuch, of Johnstown, in memory of Pat Stewart.

Borkow said the bandshell itself is one of the things that sets the event apart from others. It was built in 1939 as part of President Franklin Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration. Roxbury's is the last bandshell standing of the original 27 built.

"Johnstown has the only one and it's a historical monument, and people love having this," she said. "We have a lot of support throughout the year and it's just the icing on the cake for the year — this Christmas tree."