CEDAR CITY — Hundreds of people filled the streets of downtown Cedar City on Saturday night as the city ushered in the holiday season with even more festive lights and decorations than last year.
Cedar City event director Brad Abrams said a new two-block stretch of overhead LED light displays now runs along Center Street between 100 East and 100 West, adding to the ones that the city newly installed along Main Street last year between Center Street and 200 North.
Abrams said the project is part of the city’s “All is Bright” campaign designed to attract visitors to the historic downtown area.
“Our goal is to pull people off of I-15 and get them to come downtown and enjoy the lights so that we can become a Christmas destination more than we have been,” he said. “We have a really unique downtown, so we wanted to define our historic downtown and say, ‘Come down here. Stop on your way. Get off Burger Alley,’ because people just stop off of I-15 and get a burger, and they don’t ever pass through Cedar City.”
Abrams noted that the Utah Shakespeare Festival has also added many new outdoor lighting displays on the buildings and grounds of the Beverley Center for the Arts at 195 W. Center St.
“Especially with Shakespeare on board, I think that it makes it a place where people can stop,” he said, “and our small business community downtown can take advantage of that.”
Saturday’s festivities included a visit from Santa Claus, who arrived by helicopter that landed on Main Street as nightfall began to settle. Musicians played traditional Christmas music as the crowds milled around and looked at the lights and decorations, which also adorned the City Hall building and nearby Main Street Park.
City project engineer Don Davis said the Center Street project included infrastructure improvements that will enhance the area year-round for many years to come.
“In order to improve the hometown atmosphere of our downtown, many improvements were made on Center Street from 100 West to 100 East,” Davis said. “A total of 16 new banner poles were erected, five new street lights with banner arms installed, six new trees were planted, and over 400 feet of curb, gutter and sidewalk was replaced.”
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Santa Claus visits with a young boy, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 28, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Events, St. George News / Cedar City News
Cedar City's holiday light display along Main Street, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 28, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Events, St. George News / Cedar City News
Miss Iron County helps with the festivities during Cedar City's holiday lighting ceremony, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 28, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Events, St. George News / Cedar City News
Workers install Cedar City's holiday light display along Main Street, Cedar City, Utah, November 2020 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Events, St. George News / Cedar City News
Cedar City's holiday banners and decorations along Main Street, Cedar City, Utah, November 2020 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Events, St. George News / Cedar City News
Cedar City's holiday banners and decorations along Main Street, Cedar City, Utah, November 2020 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Events, St. George News / Cedar City News
Workers install Cedar City's holiday light display along Main Street, Cedar City, Utah, November 2020 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Events, St. George News / Cedar City News
Workers install Cedar City's holiday light display along Main Street, Cedar City, Utah, November 2020 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Events, St. George News / Cedar City News
New holiday lights at the Utah Shakespeare Festival's Beverley Center for the Arts, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 30, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Cedar City's holiday lights include decorations at City Hall, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 30, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Cedar City's holiday light display along Main Street, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 28, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Cedar City's holiday light display along Main Street, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 28, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Cedar City's holiday light display along Main Street, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 28, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Cedar City's holiday light display along Main Street, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 28, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.