Changes are coming to a popular holiday tradition that draws thousands of people to downtown Edmonton every November.
The Downtown Business Association’s Holiday Light Up in Churchill Square will not be going ahead as usual this year, due to LRT construction, as well as renovations at the Stanley A. Milner Library.
While the DBA was tight-lipped on what the changes would entail, president Ian O’Donnell said “we are going to be doing something a little bit different.”
“This year we are going to be changing what we do for Holiday Light Up,” O’Donnell said Monday, “some different activities throughout the month.
“We will be lighting up Churchill Square and the City Hall Plaza in a bit of a different way and certainly look forward to coming back in two years from now when LRT construction is wrapping up and bringing back Light Up with the tree in full form.”
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The annual holiday tradition usually draws upwards of 10,000 people to the square for family fun, fireworks and the lighting of the giant Christmas tree.
It’s not yet known if the public will be invited downtown for the big celebration.
O’Donnell said a number of smaller events will be held downtown throughout the month, including a holiday window competition. The DBA will also partner with the farmers market for some sort of event. More details about the changes will be released later this week, O’Donnell said.
Perry Hicks, the owner of The Mini Donut King in Edmonton, said he was told by an organizer there would not be a big public event like in previous years. This would have been the 10th year he’s set up in the square for the event.
“It’s kind of a sad thing because it was really good for family and kids,” Hicks said. “It was a real fun event to be at with Santa Claus, all the music they had, all the events going on.
“Maybe they should have moved it somewhere else,” he suggested Monday. “It was a very good event and hopefully they bring it back for the people of Edmonton.”
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Denis Febell owns eight Fat Franks hot dog restaurants in the Edmonton area and said he was told by the city there would be no big event in Churchill Square this year.
He said he’s been setting up at the event for about nine years and typically sells between $3,000 and $4,000 worth of food.
“We don’t have a lot of winter work, so this is kind of a bummer,” Febell said.
The Holiday Light Up is usually held on the first Saturday following Remembrance Day.
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