Christmas is fast approaching, and Portland is getting ready. One of the city's prized seasonal landmarks is the large pine tree that stands in Monument Square every year. And with the lighting ceremony coming up on Nov. 25th, the announcement's been made about which tree's been selected to represent the season.

This stoic beauty comes from neighboring Westbrook. According to the Portland Maine Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department's Facebook post, this year's tree is a mammoth Balsom Fir that measures 40 feet tall. This gargantuan beauty is extremely full, with a perfect curved look. And now it sounds like I'm describing a car.

The next step for Portland's tree is the massive job of moving it downtown to Monument Square. The Parks Department explains the complex plan in great detail, from the cutting down to the route itself. They estimate that it should take about an hour from cutting to land at its final destination in Monument Square. According to the post, the Westbrook Police, Portland Police and Portland Parking Control will be helping to make sure the roads remain safe during the giant tree's commute.

The yearly tree lighting has been one of Portland's most popular traditions for decades. In fact, it's so popular that the city did a live feed of the lighting during the pandemic. It was a great way to keep the spirit of the event alive.

It's not just the lighting that's back. New activities are being added as well. There will be live music, ice carving, face painting, giveaways, food and drink samples, and more. You can read more about the festivities here.

According to the post, the tree will make its move on Thursday, November 17th, with the cutting beginning around 9am. Get your camera phones ready.

Peek Inside The Century-Old Doctor Dormitory For Sale In Portland, Maine

The original home of a Portland power couple, William and Mary Cate Thomas, a majestic property at 120 West St. is officially for sale for the very first time. Its first life was housing a large family and its second life was as a doctor dormitory for Maine Medical Center. What does the third act have in store?

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

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