A Christmas tradition started earlier than normal in Sequim thanks to COVID-19.

Captain-Crystal Stout and a small team of physically-distanced elves helped light up the downtown Sequim tree on Thanksgiving night. She, Emily Westcott and other volunteers worked since mid-October to gather lights and decorate the downtown area at 1st Security Bank park, Centennial Park and the Pioneer Memorial Park waterfall.

This year’s 20-foot tree was donated by Brown Maloney, and it features 11,000 lights.

Stout said organizers chose to hold the virtual ceremony on Thanksgiving night because they didn’t want to compete with Port Angeles’ tree lighting and many planned Sequim events were cancelled.

To usher in the season, Stout, this year’s Ms. Senior United States, sang her version of the holiday tune “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas (in Sequim).”

She broadcast the event live on her Facebook page and it can be seen at the City of Sequim’s Facebook pages, such as www.facebook.com/sequimwagov.

Also, look for Sequim business-related events at www.sequimchamber.com/hometown2020.

Captain-Crystal Stout talks to watchers of her live stream of the downtown Sequim tree lighting on Thanksgiving. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash