A small but enthusiastic crowd came out in a light rain to witness the lighting of the Heights Holiday Tree between the foot of Montague Street and the Promenade. Several dignitaries were in attendance, including Borough President Marty Markowitz (photo), and Heights preservation pioneers Otis Pratt Pearsall and Nancy Pearsall, whose four year old granddaughter, Marilla Hirsch, pulled the switch that turned on the lights. The Rev. Steven Paulikas, Assistant to the Rector of Grace Church, gave the invocation. Afterwards, members of the Grace & Spiritus Chorale sang carols. The event was co-sponsored by the Brooklyn Heights Garden Club and the Montague Street BID.
