Magic Tree becomes local holiday icon

a multimedia project by Aimee Gutshall, Samantha Rhoades and Brooklyn Shearer, posted Dec. 9, 2009

The Magic Tree is actually a crabapple tree lit by Randy Fletcher in Columbia, Mo. Fletcher has been lighting up the tree in his front yard since 1995. He officially turns the tree on the day before Thanksgiving and it officially turns off on Jan. 6. The only other reasons he turns it on is for family birthdays in January and February and on Valentine’s Day.

The Magic Tree began with just a few branches lit in its early years. After a few years of just putting lights on the branches, Fletcher thought it would look neat to do the whole tree, trunk included. It takes will about 120 hours to put the lights on the tree and 60 hours to take them down. After all his hard work he doesn’t mind having people in his front yard until 11 p.m. most nights from the time the tree turns on till he turns it off.

Fletcher said there are three reasons that he does this every year. The tree serves as an act of beauty; he wants everyone who sees the tree to realize that the same beauty that the tree holds is within ourselves. And, lastly, when individuals realize that beauty is within us, it can be produced outside ourselves in a productive way.

Magic Tree brings a special light to the holiday season.

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