PORTLAND - Portland's annual Christmas Tree lighting kicked off the holiday season in Pioneer Courthouse Square Friday.
The 27th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony festivities included a community sing-a-long led by Thomas Lauderdale and members of Pink Martini, along with the Oregon Symphony.
KGW news anchors Brenda Braxton and Russ Lewis, along with KINK.fm radio personality Dave Scott, hosted the event on air.
More: Extra police on hand for Pioneer Square tree lighting
The annual tree lighting usually attracts about 15,000 people to the square.
During last year's event Federal agents arrested a Somali teen as he tried to blow up a van he thought was loaded with explosives. The bomb was a fake supplied by agents and the crowd was not in danger, authorities said.
Related: Portland tree lighting bomb plot
