However, the Parks Department still planned on putting the lights on the tree for the season (and I thought they were on year-round) ...
Anyway, yesterday, workers started installing the lights and adding the electrical wiring ... Steven shared these top two photos...
... and Goggla passed this along later in the day...
And by last night, the lights were shining brightly...
We were originally told the lights would go on Thursday... but we'll take them a little early. Maybe they can stay on through the spring. (C'mon — we've done March before.)
As Stacie Joy reported on Friday...
Albert Fabozzi first planted the much-loved Christmas tree in Tompkins Square Park in 1992 to honor and memorialize his partner, Glenn Barnett, as well as others who died of AIDS. The tree was 8 feet tall when he planted it. Today, the tree is well over 50 feet.
This year would have marked the 29th annual tree lighting celebration.
Previously on EV Grieve: