Houston’s Most Fabulously Decorated Christmas Trees Turn the George R. Brown Convention Center Into a Holiday Spectacle

Windows Into the Season

By Shelby Hodge // Dec 2, 2020

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The George R. Brown Convention Center is dressed to the holiday hilt with the Alley Theatre Deck the Trees display of decorated conifers.

Tree designer Holland Vavra with her Beaming with Pride Tree.

The Alley Theatre Deck the Trees display of decorated conifers. The Signature Tree inspired by Frozen created by Taylor DeMartino and DeMartino Design Group.

Signature Tree Designer Taylor DeMartino with lead sponsor H-E-B's Lisa Helfman.

The Alley Theatre Deck the Trees display of decorated conifers. The Nutcracker tree by Macy's.

The Alley Theatre Deck the Trees display of decorated conifers. The Monopoly tree by Holli Day Decor.

The Alley Theatre Deck the Trees display of decorated conifers. The Concrete Christmas by Natural.

The Alley Theatre Deck the Trees display of decorated conifers. The Houston Astros tree by Janice L. Lopez.

Mayor Sylvester Turner, advocating social distancing and wearing masks, with Lainie Gordon & David Mincberg at the Alley Theatre Deck the Trees event in early December. (Photo by Priscilla Dickson)

The Alley Theatre Deck the Trees display of decorated conifers. The Lone Star in the East tree by Barry Doss Design.

The Alley Theatre Deck the Trees display of decorated conifers. The One Mission — Houston Rockets tree by The Events Company.

The Alley Theatre Deck the Trees display of decorated conifers. Tis the Season To Be Jolly by Always in Season.

The Alley Theatre Deck the Trees display of decorated conifers. The Multicultural Tree by Houston First Corporation.

The George R. Brown Convention Center is dressed to the holiday hilt with the Alley Theatre Deck the Trees display of decorated conifers.

The Alley Theatre Deck the Trees display of decorated conifers. The We Are Texans Tree sponsored by the Houston Texans and designed by Taylor DeMartino.

The Alley Theatre Deck the Trees display of decorated conifers. The When the First Snow Falls Tree by Neiman Marcus.

The Alley Theatre Deck the Trees display of decorated conifers. Where Unity and Diversity Thrive by Matt Manalo and sponsored by the Asian Pacific American Heritage Association.

Alley board president Ken Kades and Mady Kades

Alley Theatre artistic Director Rob Melrose, event chairs Masha & Richard Lunam.

Cathy & Jesse Marion

Chris Hendel, Rosellen Welch, Heather Almond

Jennifer Albanese, Valerie Jalufka

Samantha & Matt Manalo

Haley & Myles Parma

Oh what fun it was for a handful of Alley Theatre patrons and designers when Mayor Sylvester Turner clicked the switch to light the signature tree in the theater’s annual Deck the Trees lighting ceremony, this year on display in the George R. Brown Convention Center. The relocation from the Alley lobby was due to the need for social distancing in the era of COVID-19.

Visitors can view the 30 fabulously decorated trees through windows in the convention center a la the glorious holiday windows of Saks Fifth Avenue in New York. Among the designers were teams from Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, The Events Company, For All Occasions, Always in Season, Pamela Hope Designs, Barry Doss Design and Holli Day Décor in Spring. They will be on display through January 3.

The fundraising effort brought in $250,000 for the theater‘s education, community engagement and artistic programming with monies raised through tree sponsorships ranging from $2,500 to $50,000.

The mayor took this occasion to note that the Alley would provide an opportunity for all Houstonians to view a virtual production of A Christmas Carol for free from December 4 to 27.

Taylor DeMartino of DeMartino Design Group and HTX Floral Co. created the Signature Tree, a glamorous, sparkly 20-foot tree inspired by Frozen. H-E-B was the sponsor of the dazzling wonder which will be on display in a dramatic windowscape along Avenida de las Americas in front of the convention center.

Houston First donated the space for the tree display and hosted the cocktail/tree lighting reception.

PC Seen: Alley artistic director Rob Melrose, event chairs Masha and Richard Lunam, Cathy and Jesse Marion, Robin and Tom Segesta, Butch Mach, Lainie Gordon and David Mincberg, Haley and Myles Parma, Heather Almond, and Matt and Samantha Manalo.