Helping with the Holiday Blues

December 8, 2025
• The town employees and performers behind the blue tree lighting reflected on their role in the annual local tradition on Saturday.

High over Town Common, mechanical engineer Jarred Von Rueden scaled the 30-foot sugar maple, clutching a string of blue-bulb lights in his gloved hands. The wind was whipping and the temperatures chilling, but as Von Rueden reached the top of the tree, he worked methodically, hooking rows of lights around branches.

His spider lift, and the ground below him, were dusted with snow — the preceding day’s weather delayed their setup. Von Rueden, an employee of Hartney Greymont, and a team of town arborists would remain on the Common through the morning to finish setup for Saturday’s blue tree lighting.

The local tradition involves at least 700 lights in the tree alone, Forestry Foreman Mike Logan said. Early Wednesday morning, hands deep in his hoodie pocket, he watched the two-man operation put up the lights, which would be the final step before the lighting.

Logan recalled his own experience stringing lights on the previous 80-by-60-foot maple for the Needham holiday.

“I’ve been in the bucket [truck] where it was just so cold and windy you had to duck down in the bucket and can’t feel your fingers,” he said, “and you’re just holding on for a few minutes until you can switch some more wires in.” He also contended with a fair few wild creatures, namely squirrels.

All told, the physical effort involved in lighting up the tree cannot be understated. Around from the Common, LEDs wrap around light poles and zig-zag overhead. The wreaths ornamenting Town Hall amount to 400 more bulbs. There’s close to 2,500 lights in the Common, by Logan’s rough estimation.

Avery Square in the Heights has its own decorated tree — which takes about a week to set up — as does the Department of Public Works building.

Parks and Forestry Superintendent Ed Olsen said the nerves kicked in earlier this week as the lighting approached and the blue tree remained not-so-blue. He underscored the town’s partnership with Hartney Greymont, who provided some helping hands and the equipment to finish the job.

“I think we’re so lucky to have a talented crew,” Olsen said. “We have great people that really care and take pride in this town, and I think it shows.”

Since the old blue tree came down a decade ago, its replacement has tripled in size, Olsen said. He reassured Needham Local that the current tree is “in great shape.”

When Saturday night rolled around, members of Needham High School’s choral ensembles warmed up their voices as the sun began to set. The performers, some donning Christmas apparel, annually mark the occasion with an array of holiday tunes that soundtrack the lighting.

Unlike their typical school performances, the crowd is noticeably more youthful, senior Delia Rauch said. When Santa arrives, the festive atmosphere heightens, she said.

“It’s a really core memory,” Rauch said, thinking back to attending the lighting when she was younger. “This is such a cheery event.”

“Needham, we have a couple seasonal traditions, but we don’t have a ton of them, and this feels like the strongest one to me,” senior Mia Allen said, “so it’s nice to contribute to that in a more concrete way by singing.”

The Olin Fire Arts Club, a college group that performs gymnastic feats with fire, traded their flames for LED lights this year, as they did last year. Nevertheless, the show along Garrity’s Way drew a sizable crowd in the cold.

For Charlie Mawn, a junior at Olin and firelord with the OFAC, the celebration is an opportunity to connect. Olin sits on the edge of Needham, meaning students often don’t have an excuse (or ability) to come into Needham.

But at the lighting, they feel they belong to the town, he said.

“I like being able to do this, because it reminds me that I am living in a town, and I am part of that town for these four years,” Mawn said. “So this is awesome, being a part of this little tradition, and it reminds me of home so much.”

This year marked the 71st lighting. Logan, who’s helped with the operation for more than 30 years, called it a “time-honored tradition.”

In its usual fanfare, Santa arrived via fire truck, and attendees drank complimentary hot chocolate and roamed around the Common taking photos. Buddy the Elf, a character from the movie “Elf,” also made an appearance.

When the time came to flip on the tree lights, the special honor went to Officer Rocket, the Needham Police Department dog. It was a community effort that brought the event to life.