You might have noticed the lighted decorations glistening in the empty lot on the corner of Division Street and Birch Ave. Yes, they are the same lights that used to adorn the downtown area. According to Messenger Archives, for 10 years, up until 2018, The City of Maple Lake hung the lights on utility poles for people to enjoy as they drove through the city during the Christmas season. In 2018, Xcel Energy said they would no longer allow the lights to be hung on their poles. To replace the lights, a permanent evergreen tree was planted in the Community Park and another temporary tree was purchased to place in the empty lot. Both were decorated to preserve the festive air of the holidays. After a few years, purchasing the temporary tree became too expensive, officials said, so this year it was decided to dig out the old ornaments from storage and hang them in a festive fashion in the lot under the water tower. A lighting ceremony was held on Dec. 2 as part of the Christmas in Maple Lake celebration.