THE FORMER TREE THAT STOOD AT THE POINT FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS | COURTESY DUQUESNE LIGHT CO.

It’s back for good.

On Friday, Duquesne Light will unveil its new, energy-efficient 60-foot Christmas tree at Point State Park that replaces one that stood at The Point each holiday season for more than 30 years until 2021. 

Named the “Three Rivers Tree,” the new tree is designed with various sustainability features, including more than 22,000 LED pixel lights, and uses water ballasts as its foundation to protect the grounds of the park. The design also incorporates fun, vibrant colors and images in 15-minute cycles that symbolize the winter and holiday season.

The new tree is the result of a public backlash that occurred after the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which manages the park, and Duquesne Light announced in 2020 that it was retiring the tree, citing the need to better preserve the historical grounds where Fort Duquesne once stood. 

The announcement spurred Pittsburgh native Peter Linko to create a Change.org petition that collected more than 10,000 names, urging the tree to return. “Let beauty we all have experienced be there for generations to come!” the petition read. 

Then-Mayor Bill Peduto also wrote a letter to DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn urging her to help save the tree.

“The tree was slated to be gone forever;  there was no plan to design a new one,” says Linko, a local community activist, on Wednesday. “The power of the grassroots from every demographic came together and made their voice heard. We are grateful DLC and Point State Park listened to the people.”

He said his passion for the tree started when he was a young child “seeing that beautiful beacon of hope that has shown every Christmas season since 1988. When I started the petition I did it for future generations to experience the same joy of Christmas that I did as a child, even though I had no children. Now I have two little ones that will be able to share in that same joy it brought me.”

In response to the petition drive, Duquesne Light sought input from the community for a new energy-efficient, modern design that took two years to create, according to a press release. A local Carnegie Mellon University alum submitted the winning design that was used as inspiration for the final display. Duquesne Light ultimately partnered with Artistic Holiday Designs, an 8-year-old company headquartered in Lemont, Illinois, to create the new tree.

“We are excited for the new iteration of this holiday symbol, which is a tremendous example of sustainable innovation and its connection to environmental stewardship,” DCNR’s Dunn said in the press release. “Thank you to DLC for their continued partnership at Point State Park and brightening the holiday season.”

The “Three Rivers Tree” will be on display from Nov. 17 through Jan. 8.