Thousands ring in the holidays at 68th annual Macy's Great Tree Lighting

ATLANTA — Thousands of people showed up to Lenox Square Sunday evening to help ring in the holiday season for the 68^th annual Macy's Great Tree Lighting.
 
Channel 2's Jovita Moore and Craig Lucie hosted the evening that included performances by contemporary Christian music group MercyMe, and Jordin Sparks and Danny Gokey, both of "American Idol" fame.
 
Of course the biggest star of the evening was the Macy's Great Tree. The night came to end as the tree's 45,000 LED twinkling lights were lit up to officially begin Atlanta's holiday season, followed by a spectacular fireworks show set to holiday music.
 
Those who attended the Great Tree Lighting noticed a large team of security making themselves visible at every corner.

A city representative told Channel 2's Matt Johnson that some of the extra security personnel were Atlanta police officers in the wake of a reported threat at Philips Arena downtown.
  
The people at the event said it hasn't gone unnoticed.
 
"That's all we've seen from the time we got here from the time we walked out here … it's very safe," said Melanie Williams, who brought her whole family from Athens. "I came as a kid and now bringing my own kids back."
 
And even temperatures in the 40s didn't keep people from flocking to Lenox Square to watch the ceremony.
 
"It makes even old people like me feel young," Williams said.

WSBTV