Heading to the heart of St. Paul for the holiday tree lighting?

Actually, save the date for two lighting events about a half-mile and a few weeks apart.

First up: The Salvation Army’s artificial “Tree of Lights” was assembled in downtown St. Paul earlier this week in advance of the annual Rice Park tree lighting ceremony — and Red Kettle Kick-off — scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, with St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and others set to attend.

Union Depot’s annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony in Lowertown will come 21 days later, on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 7, as part of the venue’s Hub for the Holidays.

The public can watch as crews crane the freshly cut tree into place at Union Depot’s main entrance on Fourth Street, the North Plaza, between approximately 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Saturday.

Here is what to know about both tree lighting events:

Rice Park

This is the third year that the Salvation Army’s 40-foot artificial tree will be the focal point of Rice Park during the holidays.

This year, there’s a new sparkle to it.

“Each year, we try to add something to the experience,” says Dan Furry, spokesperson for the Salvation Army Northern Division. “This year, we’re adding a dynamic LED lighting program that is synchronized to holiday music. … The plan is to run a 7-minute program of lights and music every quarter-hour.”

A new program will play each week during the holiday season.

On Saturday, the fun starts at 4 p.m. at Rice Park, which is located at 109 W. Fourth St. in downtown St. Paul.

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There will be free cookies and hot chocolate, served up by the Salvation Army’s disaster services canteens, and Santa and Mrs. Claus will be in attendance — as well as Nordy, the Minnesota Wild’s mascot, and the St. Paul Police Band’s drumline. Activities include a Minnesota Wild hockey shooting station.

The 5:30 p.m. program, culminating with the lighting of the tree, includes special guests WNBA Hall of Famer Lindsay Whalen and Grammy winners The Sounds of Blackness as well as the mayor.

In addition to the fun, the event also marks the start to the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign to raise money for those in need.

“The need for services is higher than ever,” Furry says. “People are still struggling.”

Union Depot

The tree designated for Union Depot’s “front yard” on Fourth Street is currently in Sally and Barry Peters’ yard in Vadnais Heights.

On Saturday, after the tree is cut down, it will be transported about 12 miles to 214 Fourth St. in Lowertown (look for the banner identifying it as the Union Depot’s holiday tree).

This is a tradition: Each year, a live tree is sought for the transportation hub’s holiday season hustle and bustle.

“We met all the criteria,” says Sally.

That criteria: The evergreen tree must be located in Ramsey County; it needs to be at least 40 feet tall and look good from all angles and there must be a reason for its removal.

A landscaper planted the tree, believed to be a Norway Spruce, back in 1991. It’s grown — and grown — and grown in the 33 years since then.

“It’s beautiful and we’ve always enjoyed it,” says Sally. “We used to light it up for Christmas every year. Now, it’s way too big for that — we don’t have a crane at our house for lights!”

In fact, it’s grown so large that it can block motorists’ view around the curve of their street, requiring frequent trimming. The roots are also causing issues for the family’s driveway. And the sap …

“We were outside cleaning the sap off the driveway when I thought to myself, ‘I’m going to go check to see if Union Depot is looking for a tree again this year,’” Sally says.

They were.

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That was in September. By October, the Peters’ tree was selected from among more than 20 other contenders.

“We had some great submissions,” says Maurina Rondeau, marketing and events manager for Union Depot. “This tree is really pretty and has that nice ‘triangle’ shape.”

The family plans to attend the tree lighting ceremony at 7 p.m. on Dec. 7, which will include fireworks and more.

“The Union Depot is so iconic,” Sally says. “We are delighted. It feels like an honor to be able to do this.”

For more info on both events, visit facebook.com/SalvationArmyNorth and uniondepot.org/holiday.