‘Pine-ally awake’: Holiday season kicks off with Woody’s return
Posted Nov 17, 2025 01:18:06 PM.
Last Updated Nov 17, 2025 01:52:26 PM.
Dartmouth’s iconic Christmas tree woke up over the weekend, officially kicking off the holiday season in the region.
Woody the Talking Christmas Tree was woken up by a crowd of excited children and people on Nov. 15 at Mic Mac Mall.
“Wake up Woody, wake up Woody, I’ll talk to you, you’ll talk to me,” the crowd sang along with Old Saint Nick, to magically bring the tree to life. “All your friends have come to say, it’s time to rise and shine today.”
Donning a commanding imitation conifer adorned with glittery Christmas decorations and a jubilant face that moves as it chats with children in real-time, Woody is a popular attraction at the mall.
The giant fir is available daily for walk-up visits until Dec. 23. The hours are Monday to Friday between 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. — a break for milk and cookies with Santa — and 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, Woody will be on the clock between 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., and Sunday between 12:00 and 5:00 p.m.
A staple of Mic Mac Mall in the 1980s until 2006, the original Woody wore the years on its façade and was eventually in much need of restoration.
Instead of renovating the more than 55-foot-tall talking timber, the shopping centre’s owners decided to stop showcasing Woody in the mid-2000s. It wasn’t until 2021 when the mall’s new owners decided to bring the character back that Woody returned.
