Peoria’s Urban Artifacts brings back popular Christmas character

PEORIA (25 News Now) - If you were around the mid-to-late 1960s you may remember a holiday friend that was displayed at Bergner’s department stores.

It was a talking Christmas tree, and it used to bring holiday cheer to shoppers. An employee would get inside the tree and used a string to talk. People could ask the tree any question they’d like. After Bergner’s closed down, the trees were all but gone. Until last year, local collectors at Urban Artifacts got a call saying one of the trees was available in a warehouse. They cleaned it up and brought it down to Peoria for a Christmas blast from the past.

“For the parents that probably grew up with a tree in their youth, they can now bring their family and kids back to show them what they remembered as a kid and it’s a lot of happy memories for people,” Urban Artifacts co-owner John Walker said.

This season, there is no one in the tree actually talking, but Urban Artifacts said that could be a possibility in the future.

If you stop by to see the tree, the store is also selling tree memorabilia for you to take home.