'The Ybor that we all know:' Ybor City rings in the holidays with annual tree lighting

YBOR CITY, Fla. - The holiday season kicked off Wednesday night with the annual tree lighting in Ybor City.

The Ybor City Chamber of Commerce put on the 13th annual Ybor City Tree Lighting.

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Tampa Mayor Jane Castor led the official tree lighting outside Centro Ybor on 7th Avenue.

"I’ve never experienced a warm Christmas," Genevieve O’Neal said. "We’re from up north, so this is new and exciting for us."

Some families got to enjoy the tree lighting for the first time on Wednesday night in Ybor City. 

"I thought it was amazing," O’Neal said. "The entertainment was nice, and it’s a family-friendly environment, and I’m just excited to share this moment with our kids."

Other families grew up in Ybor City and say the tree lighting has become a staple in their holiday celebrations.

"It’s just a wonderful thing for the community," Karen and Nelson Guggino said. "A wonderful event. We’ve made it a tradition. We go to dinner first, and then we come over, and it’s really the first tree lighting of our holiday season. And as grandparents, it’s even more special to have these two little ones, so it means a lot to us."

The HCC choir kicked off the event with singing and dancing, followed by the tree lighting and a visit from Santa Claus.

"Ybor City, we’ve grown up here," Nelson Guggino said. "We love Ybor City. We look forward to being down here. It’s a beautiful city, and we always feel welcome. We always have a good time."

The Mayor and several members of the city council spoke at the tree lighting Wednesday night.

The event comes after recent discussions about a deadly shooting in Ybor City on October 29.

READ: Ybor City shooting: Tampa police searching for more suspects after 2 killed, 16 injured

Castor has previously emphasized that they don’t want that incident to take away from the value of Ybor City.

"This is the Ybor that we all know," Castor said. "Ybor City is a very safe community."

On Wednesday night, city leaders said the tree lighting was a perfect example of the Ybor City they know and love.

"This right here is what Ybor City is all about," Councilman Luis Viera said. "Community, businesses, families coming together. This is the Ybor City that we, here in the City of Tampa, are working so hard to protect."

The Ybor City tree lighting is the first of many holiday events in the Tampa Bay area.