It’s official. The annual Holiday Light Up in downtown Edmonton is taking a hiatus this year due to construction in Churchill Square.
The cancellation of the popular holiday event means there will not be a massive Christmas tree set up in the square this year.
The Downtown Business Association (DBA) said work being done around the east garden, as well as construction on the LRT and Stanley A. Milner Library, forced it to make the tough decision.
READ MORE: Downtown Edmonton construction forces changes to annual Holiday Light Up event
The DBA said it considered other locations for the event, “but they were not appropriate.”
The official news comes one day after the DBA told Global News “changes” were coming to the annual celebration due to downtown construction.
Watch below: Changes are coming to the annual Holiday Light Up event in downtown Edmonton.
The Holiday Light Up has been a staple for Edmontonians for more than 20 years. It usually draws upwards of 10,000 people to Churchill Square for family fun, fireworks and the main event – the lighting of the 70-foot Christmas tree.
In place of the Holiday Light Up, The City Hall plaza will be lit up with coloured ornaments. The DBA is holding a window decorating contest, which encourages downtown businesses to decorate their storefronts with festive creations.
The DBA is also partnering with the City Market to bring Santa Claus to City Hall every Saturday.
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On Monday, a couple of local business owners said they were disappointed this year’s event was cancelled, as it was always a good event for business.