Not only was 2024 the year I finally made it to the tree lighting, it was also the year I finally made it to Tuba Christmas!
What happens when more than 400 tubas converge on Pioneer Square to play a concert? They need a place to put their cases. The cases served as a nice buffer between the tubas and the audience.
I used to be good at going to public events and arriving early enough to get a good seat, but clearly I have to build those particular muscles back up. I ended up standing on the side near the back, so I couldn’t see what was going on near the front. But it was fun to have an up-close view of all the tubas.
Many Tuba Christmas caps were around in both red and green. The ones that they were selling this year were blue. But it looks like each tuba player gets a button for every tuba Christmas concert they participate in. This musician is a long-time participant.
There was an official tuba Christmas photographer, and I admired his folding stepstool. I would find it handy when I took pictures.