St. Matthews 2019 Christmas Tree Giveaway and Holiday Party

St. Matthews Lutheran Church will be having its annual Christmas tree giveaway tomorrow from 10AM - 1pm at 222 M Street in the courtyard.  There will be live Christmas music, gingerbread house-making, and free refreshments from Sacred Grounds Cafe. Trees are still available - to reserve a tree, call 202.800.4600 or 410.375.5053.

St. Matthew's 2018 Christmas Tree Giveaway

This year's Christmas tree giveaway at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church will be held this Saturday in the courtyard of the new church building, located at 222 M Street at 1pm.  Access to the courtyard is through a wood gate along Delaware Avenue, south of M Street.  If you'd like to reserve a tree, send an email to office@stmatthewsdc.org or call 202.484.3189. Trees are free to those who cannot afford them, but for those who are able, a donation to St. Matthew's to support the soon-to-form Southwest Youth and Children's Choir is appreciated.

During the giveaway, an Open House will be held with refreshments and tours of the new building from 1pm - 3pm.  The dedication ceremony and first service at the new St. Matthew's will be held on January 20, 2019 at 2pm and is open to the public.  Meanwhile, residents started moving into the neighboring Valo apartments last month.

Will St. Matthew’s Lot Finally Turn Dirt?

St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church will be holding another Christmas tree giveaway later this month on their vacant lot, located at 222 M Street. At last year’s giveaway, the development team said construction on a new sanctuary and 221 apartments would begin in April 2015, but financial complications due to the property’s location in a flood zone delayed the start of construction. This problem seems to be resolved, since the 17th Street NW levee project on the National Mall has since been completed, which moves the St. Matthew’s lot outside of the 100-year flood zone. According to Pastor Phillip Huber of St. Matthew’s, the latest estimate for starting construction is mid-January, with completion by the end of 2017, or sooner. The development team includes Trammell Crow Company and CSG Urban Partners.

The Christmas tree giveaway will be on Saturday, December 12, starting at 10am. In order to receive one of the 130 free trees, a reservation is required – either email stmatthewsdc@hughes.net or call 202-484-3189, first come, first serve. Day-of reservations will be accepted on site, starting at 10am to pick up a tree after 12pm, if any remain. Free food and beverages will be provided during the giveaway.

Rendering courtesy of Shalom Baranes Associates

St. Matthew's Christmas Tree Sale Returns Tomorrow!

St. Matthew's Tree Lot Will Return, SW Waterfront to Get Livened Up

At least one of the empty lots in the neighborhood will get some use this holiday season. Starting this Thursday, as was done last year, St. Matthew's Lutheran Church will sell Christmas trees on their lot at 222 M Street. Below is the schedule and prices:

Thursday - Friday: 5pm - 8pm

Saturday - Sunday: 1pm - 5pm

Other times be appointment (202) 484-3189 or email (stmatthewsdc@hughes.net)

6-7 ft Scotch Pine: $25

5-6 ft Frazier Fir: $45

6-7 ft Frazier Fir: $55

7-8 ft Frazier Fir: $65

On a related note, at Monday's SWNA meeting, Shawn Seaman from PN Hoffman, one of the developers of the Southwest Waterfront, confirmed the recent WBJ story (which I blogged about a couple weeks ago) that parts of the SW Waterfront will be used for temporary purposes. While Seaman didn't exactly say that the SW Waterfront will become a temporary beach before redevelopment gets underway, he did say that the terminus of 7th & 9th Streets will host events, like a farmers market or dance performances. The SW Waterfront redevelopment is still scheduled to break ground in 2012, but Water Street may close as early as 2011.

A Tree "Grows" in Southwest

The empty lot at 222 M Street where St. Matthew's Lutheran Church is planning to build a new sanctuary and apartments (see prior post) will soon become a Christmas tree lot this holiday season. Starting on Monday, December 1st, Christmas trees will be on sale 7 days a week, so us Southwesters will have a local spot to get our trees this year! Here's the schedule:

Monday - Friday: 3:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Saturday: 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Sunday: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Prices range from $48 for 5-6 ft trees to $67 for 7-8 ft trees. If you're interested in pre-ordering a tree, contact St. Matthew's at 202-484-3189, or send an email to stmatthewsdc@hughes.net. Seniors living in the neighborhood get free delivery!