In Rehoboth, it's beginning to look like Christmas

The first year Dale R. and Harriett Magee lived at their home on Plantations Road in Lewes, they chose a live Douglas fir tree for Christmas.

After the holidays, Dale and his granddaughter, Alex, planted the tree in their front yard.

Twenty-four years later, the tree they planted is 30 feet tall and 25 feet wide. In February, Dale R. Magee died of heart failure, and to honor him, the family decided to donate the tree to Rehoboth Main Street as the city's official Christmas tree.

“We decided to do something in his memory. This is the first tree he planted here when we moved from Love Creek 24 years ago. It came from a local tree farm,” said Dale W. "Woody" Magee.

Harriett said it was the Christmas tree the first year in their home. "We planted it, and he decorated it for a couple years afterwards. Then it got too tall for him," she said. "Either that or the ladder got too short, I don’t know which.”

Woody Magee said Rehoboth Main Street, which sponsors the tree lighting, had contacted the family two years ago about the tree, but it wasn’t until after his father died that they decided to donate it. He said the family is proud to donate the tree, viewing it as a sendoff for their late patriarch.

“I hope the people get to enjoy it as much as we did donating it,” Harriett said.

The Magees are Sussex County lifers; Harriett is from Rehoboth and Dale R. Magee was from Selbyville. Woody was born in Lewes and is a 15-year member of the Lewes Volunteer Fire Company. Officially lighting the tree will be Alex; Woody; his wife, Amy; and Harriett.

The festivities will begin at 6:30 p.m., at the Bandstand on Friday, Nov. 28, with a sing-a-long hosted by Clear Space Theatre Company, followed by the tree lighting at 7 p.m.

After the tree lighting, Clear Space will host a special performance of “She Loves Me” at Clear Space Theatre, 20 Baltimore Ave. For show ticket information call 302-227-2270.