Union Station's Sparkly Tree to Shimmer for Home Viewers

Where, in the past, have you just run across, or suddenly happened upon, a large and especially lovely Christmas tree?

Your local shopping center, perhaps, or a town square, the kind of place that places a bushy, ornament-filled shrub at the heart of a city park.

But for many Angelenos, that "ohh, ahh" experience has long occurred at Union Station, a famous transportation hub known for its holiday cheer.

For the notably tall fir standing in the middle of the landmark's handsome and historic South Patio has had a way of prompting harried commuters and rush-rush travelers to pause for a moment or two.

We're staying close to home as December 2020 deepens, and rush-rush times sit, for the most part, in the past and the future, but the train station still wants to safely stir up some seasonal sparkle for holiday lovers.

So on Friday, Dec. 11, Union Station will stream "Tinsel on the Tracks" for people looking in from their own abodes.

The 7 o'clock virtual to-do will be free to see on both Youtube and Facebook.

The centerpiece of the event? The lighting of the tree, which has special significance in 2020. The ornaments will hail from communities across the region, making this a truly LA tree.

Look for from-home performances, too, from the Grand Arts Chamber Singers, making the oh-so-different moment merry.

Note the lighting is not open to the public, so if you're thinking of stopping by for an in-person look, you'll want to save that date for a future year.

But the at-home watch party will give viewers around Southern California, and beyond, a chance to see a cheerful and famous tree, a stately specimen that has prompted plenty of travelers stop in their tracks.

Or, rather, yes, past trees have done that. Will the 2020 tree give at-home fans an equally festive feel?

Here's hoping, and here's to a bulb-bright tradition that is changing it up as a highly unusual year comes to a close.