STRATTON — The Stratton-Eustis Community will be celebrating the start of this year’s holiday season at its annual lighting of the community Christmas tree. The festivities will start at 5 p.m. at the Diamond Corner B & B on the corner of Routes 27 and 4 on Saturday, Dec. 1.

The Lions Club will provide hot beverages and cookies while leading everyone in traditional holiday carols before the tree is lit at 5:30. The eighth grade class from Stratton School will be selling Christmas trees as a class fund-raiser throughout the evening.

The tree at the center of this celebration was the winning spruce tree in the 2010 Maine Forest Service, Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine and Farmington Conservation Commission’s first ever Franklin County Big Tree Contest. Estimated then to be approximately 80 feet tall, it is certainly much taller now.

The Stratton-Eustis Community would like to claim the tallest, lighted, live Christmas tree in Franklin County and possibly the state. They invite people from other communities to come see the tree lighting and bring with them any evidence they might have to prove that their live, community Christmas tree is taller.

This celebration is sponsored by The Cathedral Pines Campground, the Stratton-Eustis Fire Department, Diamond Corner B & B and the Stratton-Eustis Lions Club.