Thursday, November 27, 2014
Thanksgiving heralds in the holiday season and each year Lenox Square Mall fills with thousands of people for the Macy’s Great Tree Lighting. The tree this year is back on top of the building I’m happy to report. In recent years they have moved it around for safety concerns but it never seemed right. For an hour or so leading up to Santa and company lighting the tree with a fireworks show to holiday music, The Isley Brothers, Pentatonix, tenor Timothy Miller, the Macy’s All-Star Choir, the Sarah Smith Elementary School Choir, and the Macy’s Magical Stars put on a show for the thousands who braved the cold on Thanksgiving evening. After the show, the mall and Macy’s opened up to start a very early Black Friday. Hundreds of shoppers rushed through the doors to see what deals lay in store.
Natalie Taylor (right) is handed a cup of hot chocolate as she and Ella Bohntinsky wait for the start of the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Elizabeth Broussard (center) and Jeffery Dundas wait for the start of the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Alexa Madrid (center) waits with her mother Dana and father Francisco for the start of the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Ronald (left) and Ernie Isley, better known as The Isley Brothers, perform on stage during the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Austyn Rich (right) dances on stage with the Macy’s Magical Stars during the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Ronald (left) and Ernie Isley, better known as The Isley Brothers, perform on stage during the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Santa Claus (center) makes an appearance on stage with the Macy’s Magical Stars during the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Emcee Cadillac Jack (center) interviews Carson Sims (right) and McKinley Parks during the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Scott Hoying (left), Kirstin Maldonado, Mitch Grassi and Kevin Olusola from Pentatonix perform on stage during the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Avi Kaplan (left), Kirstin Maldonado, Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi and Kevin Olusola from Pentatonix perform on stage during the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Natalie Hauert (center) cheers during the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Avi Kaplan (left), Kirstin Maldonado, Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi and Kevin Olusola from Pentatonix perform on stage during the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Ronald (left) and Ernie Isley, better known as The Isley Brothers, perform on stage during the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Ronald (left) and Ernie Isley, better known as The Isley Brothers, perform on stage during the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Anna Rohn (center) cheers as Pentatonix takes the stage during the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Julia Greene (right) and her husband Duel watch the show during the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Timothy Miller (top left) performs on stage with the Macy’s All-Star Choir during the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Timothy Miller (center) performs on stage with the Macy’s All-Star Choir during the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Kirstin Maldonado (left) and Scott Hoying from Pentatonix perform on stage during the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Lilia Bohntinsky (right), Niamh Harris and Shobini Palaniappan perform on stage with the Sarah Smith Elementary School Choir during the annual Macy’s Great Tree Lighting celebration at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Carson Sims (right), McKinley Parks and Mayor Kasim Reed help Santa start the fireworks show at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta during the annual Macy’s tree lighting ceremony on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Fireworks go off above the Christmas tree on top of the Macy’s building at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta during the annual tree lighting ceremony on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Fireworks go off above the Christmas tree on top of the Macy’s building at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta during the annual tree lighting ceremony on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Fireworks go off above the Christmas tree on top of the Macy’s building at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta during the annual tree lighting ceremony on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Fireworks go off above the Christmas tree on top of the Macy’s building at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta during the annual tree lighting ceremony on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Fireworks go off above the Christmas tree on top of the Macy’s building at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta during the annual tree lighting ceremony on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Fireworks go off above the Christmas tree on top of the Macy’s building at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta during the annual tree lighting ceremony on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Fireworks go off above the Christmas tree on top of the Macy’s building at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta during the annual tree lighting ceremony on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Fireworks go off above the Christmas tree on top of the Macy’s building at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta during the annual tree lighting ceremony on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Dawn Braswell (center) and Joan Michelson walk through Macy’s at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta after doors open for Black Friday on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Rafael Garcia (right) looks at jackets at Macy’s inside Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta after doors open for Black Friday on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
Ken Feinberg (right) holds his daughter Anauka’s hand as they walk through Macy’s at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta after doors open for Black Friday on Thursday, November 27, 2014.