Downtown Lights Up to be held tonight
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on November 24, 2015 1:46 PM
Center Street in downtown Goldsboro will transform into a winter wonderland tonight at 5 p.m. as the city kicks off the holiday season with its annual Downtown Lights Up event.
Ice skating in Cornerstone Commons was scheduled to run from 6:30 to 8 tonight, but has since been canceled and will no longer be held.
In its place, the movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" will be shown at Cornerstone Commons from 6:30 to 8.
The city will officially light up the town by flipping on the lights at 5:30 during the event. Mayor Al King will flip the switch for the lights, while being assisted by Mayor-elect Chuck Allen.
The event takes place on the front steps of City Hall, which will provide a natural backdrop for the mayor when he speaks to the crowd to wish them a happy holiday season.
In addition, there will be face painting, balloons and vendors serving hot chocolate and doughnuts.
All the decorative lights, including those along Center Street, the East Ash Street traffic circle magnolia tree, and the water tower will be turned on simultaneously. Before conducting the lighting ceremony, Mayor King, Santa, the Grinch and children will ride a horse-drawn trolley down to City Hall to welcome guests. This year the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. is again trucking in snow to set the tone for a festive downtown holiday season.
As always, there will be free trolley rides throughout the event, and the rides will continue through the holiday season every Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., ending Dec. 22.
Local performers will provide live entertainment throughout the evening, and children will also be able to mingle with Elsa and Anna from Disney's "Frozen."
There will be an opportunity to make reindeer food for Santa's reindeer, and T.A. Loving is the event's sponsor.
The Paramount Theatre will host the North Carolina Symphony at 8 p.m., and the city is expecting 2,000 people to attend the sold-out concert.
Downtown Lights Up is a free, outdoor, family-friendly event. The 200 block of North Center Street will be closed today from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. because of the event.