Christmas lights are set to brighten up downtown Parksville on Friday night at 5 p.m.
The Parksville Downtown Business Association will kick off The Season in the City with its fourth annual “Bright Friday” Christmas light-up at the east end of Morison Ave.
Santa will arrive at 5:20 p.m. and at 5:30 p.m. will help Mayor Ed Mayne and PDBA president Melisa Beatty flip the switch to illuminate the giant sequoia tree by the clock.
The public is invited to sing carols with the Craig Bay Choristers, enjoy highland tunes with the Mt. Arrowsmith Pipe Band, and take in a Christmas music performance by the Oceanside Community Concert Band.
There will be hot chocolate and popcorn compliments of Coastal Community Credit Union, and Christmas cookie decorating, courtesy of Shoppers Drug Mart.
Motorists are advised that the east end of Morison will be closed to through traffic from 2 p.m. until the event ends.
“North Pole-apalooza” is back for its fifth year. People can enter through Dec. 16 to win a Gotta Love Downtown gift basket, brimming with treats and surprises from the 28 PDBA members that have a decorated North Pole on their premises.
PDBA will again have its 21-foot, pop-up Christmas trees of lights on the rooftops of Coastal Community Credit Union, Kit and Kaboodle Trading Company (Morison), Scotiabank, Life Support, Parks West Business Products, and Parksville Animal Hospital.
In 2016 and 2017, PDBA purchased lights for the Alberni Hwy. street trees. The lights were given to the City of Parksville, which installs them during Christmas season.
— NEWS Staff/PDBA report