Evansville fixes Christmas tree after 1st attempt drew complaints, ridicule
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — The Evansville city government has fixed its downtown Christmas tree after the first attempt turned some locals into grinches.
The city and the Downtown Evansville Economic Improvement District Inc. officially lit the tree on Nov. 16 outside the Evansville Civic Center Complex.
Public complaints and social media ridicule quickly followed. At least one person complained how the decorations look like that of a child.
Over a thousand comments flooded Downtown Evansville’s Facebook page mocking the display. One commenter said, “This makes me feel good about my decorating skills. Js.”
Another person said, “A person stood on each side and they closed their eyes and just threw the lights back and forth to each other I think.”
“Looks like a 5-year-old decorated it again. How much did we pay the taxpayers pay for this atrocity again this year,” another comment read.
Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke ordered the lights removed and reinstalled, and had promised a second lighting ceremony.
In a video posted Monday night on the mayor’s Facebook, the Republican mayor and a person dressed as the Grinch from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” lit up the new tree.
“Seriously. You’re the one who stole our Christmas tree lights,” the mayor told the Grinch in the video. “Even the Grinch knows that nice matters.”
The text posted with the video said in rhyme, “Kudos to Wilde Horticulture, their green thumbs so fit, / And to the Building Authority for the light budget kit, / The City of Evansville Christmas Tree is Grinchproofed… and lit!”
![](https://www.wishtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Evansville-Chirstmas-tree-1024x572.jpg)
![](https://www.wishtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/evansville-tree-redone-2023-e1701136680283-1024x576.jpg)