Christmas tree in downtown Roanoke gets ready for Dickens

It's a tradition for thousands of people in southwest Virginia. Dickens of a Christmas returns to downtown Roanoke for the next three Fridays.

But first, they have to make sure the Christmas tree is decorated to perfection. Crews were out hanging ornaments on the 32-foot-tall white spruce from Salem Wednesday morning. 
    
Jaime Clark with downtown Roanoke said the tree is a reminder of the Roanoke Valley'S largest holiday celebrations. 

"I think it's going to be great. The weather is looking like it should feel very seasonable, which we like because it kind of feels like Christmas. We work on this for a long time. We start in the beginning of the summer to finally get to the point where we're ready to have people down here and enjoy the holiday in downtown Roanoke. It's really exciting," said Jaime Clark.  

The tree ornaments are decorated by children visiting the Taubman Museum of Art. Other events this month include the Christmas parade and pet costume contest.