Singer Julia Gagnon With Her Finance and Puppy at Monument Square Just Before Her Performance This Afternoon. The Couple is Engaged and Plan to be Married June 27, 2026 She Said.

The LL Bean Shoe was Part of the Event at Monument Square This Afternooon..

A Dancer Performs a Dance from the Nutcracker Suite This Afternoon.

Singer Julia Gagnon was the highlight of the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony this afternoon at Monument Square in Portland.      Ms. Gagnon, a star in the American Idol Television Show, belted out five songs reminiscent of the great Ethel Merman, star of New York’s Great White Way years ago.

Close to 1,000 people  packed the space between the Holiday Tree and a stage set up for the occasion to hear this gracious Mainer give her best to the appreciative crowd.

In her introductory remarks, Ms. Gagnon said she chose songs with the most appeal to a wide  range of audience members – young children to seniors – and not necessarily with a holiday theme.  She sang:  What are You Dong New Year’s Eve? (Nancy Wilson Version); Wnter Wonderland (Peggy Lee Version); Angela The Lumineers; Snowman. Her finale was Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York.  Ms. Gagnon told the hundreds of admirers that next to Portland, New York City was her favorite city – with all its hustle and bustle.

Several ballet dancers  with Portland Ballot performed dances from the Nutcracker Suite prior to the 20 minute performance by Ms. Gagnon.

“Downtown Portland received offers from about 10 people interested in donating trees for the tree lighting ceremony,” said McKenzie Delisie, Events Manager for Downtown Portland.  Many have been critical of this year’s tree because it is “scrawny.”   “We can learn a lot about ourselves from this imperfect tree. Imperfect on the outside but better inside.  We usually see about four or five thousand people at this event,” she said.

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