Triangle Christmas Tree Challenge

What it is: My little boys love lights and Christmas trees this time of year.  So, we found the perfect place where boys could get the chance to see both.  This is the second year for the Triangle Christmas Tree challenge down at Diamond View Park between the American Tobacco Campus and the ballpark.  In this challenge 60 nonprofits decorate Christmas trees.  They can take a look at the trees which are decorated by charitable organizations to be both beautiful and able to communicate their message.  Then, people can vote on their favorite.  Voting ended yesterday, but lucky for us the trees will still be on display through January 3.

We headed down to visit the trees one morning.  The boys had great fun wandering through the trees and noticing all of the special decorations on each tree.  While the angel tree was our favorite the boys also appreciated ones decorated with cars, ponies, and dogs all to represent their charitable cause.  In addition to the trees, there are also small boulders at the start and end of the sidewalk with the trees where my boys enjoyed climbing and playhouses on display from Habitat for Humanity's Net App Playhouse project.  (Although I had to remind my boys that they couldn't actually go in or play on the playhouses.)

While we had a perfectly good time during the day, it would also be fun to head back at night.  You could combine it with a kid-friendly dinner at Tylers or Mellow Mushroom at the Tobacco Campus and take a look at the lights in the Tobacco Campus itself. Then, head out to Diamond View park to look at the trees (the easiest way to get there is to head through the Strickland building and across the street to the park.)

What we liked: We loved just seeing the differences in how all of the trees were decorated.  It was nice to have a free holiday activity that the kids really enjoyed when so many holiday activities out there are so expensive.

What we would change:  Parking is not easy right next to the trees, so we needed to park at the Tobacco Campus and walk over.

Website and other important information:

Website: http://www.americantobaccohistoricdistrict.com/root/page/11801263/

Address: Diamond View Park, Downtown Durham

Dates: On view thru January 3, 2013

Photos:

(Habitat for Humanity playhouses)

(The path through the Christmas trees)

(more trees)

(one of our faves)

(another one)