By Mark Baratelli
On Sunday, November 19th 2017 the 50+ year old holiday tradition of raising the 600 pound Jack Kazanzas Star 50 feet over downtown Orlando in Orange Avenue will take place at the corner of Orange Avenue and Central Boulevard starting at 8am. The raising takes 1.5 hours. Grab a coffee and to-go breakfast, sit on the curb and watch.
On Sunday, November 19th 2017 the 50+ year old holiday tradition of raising the 600 pound Jack Kazanzas Star 50 feet over downtown Orlando in Orange Avenue will take place at the corner of Orange Avenue and Central Boulevard starting at 8am. The raising takes 1.5 hours. Grab a coffee and to-go breakfast, sit on the curb and watch.
This tradition started in the 1950s when two competing department stores, Ivey’s on the east and Dickson & Ives on the west of Orange Avenue, joined together in 1955 to hang the Christmas star between the two.
2017 ORLANDO HOLIDAY GUIDE
2017 ORLANDO HOLIDAY GUIDE
In 1984, after the department stores had closed, Jack Kazanzas, a lifelong resident of Orlando, led a campaign to raise funds to replace the original Christmas Star that had fallen into disrepair. In 2010, the City rewired the star which is now made up of more than 4,000 LED lights.
The Star has come to symbolize the start of the holiday season in Downtown Orlando. (Photos owned by The Daily City and cannot be re-used.)
