MIDLAND, Texas — A packed Centennial Park was the sight of the Midland's Merry Lights festival, where the annual Tree Lighting tradition took place for the delight of many families who were in attendance.
It wasn't just the Tree Lighting ceremony that drew a crowd. Local high school and junior high school students performed music while various vendors offered holiday-themed gifts.
None of this would have been possible without the work of everyone behind the scenes, and preparations certainly had to begin early.
"I really have to give kudos to city staff," District 4 City Councilwoman Amy Stretcher-Burkes said. "They started preparing for this in May, so it took quite a while to get everything ready."
Christmas decorations lined Centennial Park and nearby buildings, with lights strung throughout the area.
Not only did the event bring all sorts of people to downtown Midland, but it also brought everyone together for some holiday spirit and cheer.
"This isn't something that happens everywhere, right? This is a large event. This is a large event for Midland. It's creating a lot of excitement, and it's driving people downtown, which was the goal of this whole thing — to create a better quality of place for all of Midland, Midlanders, and families," At-Large City Councilman Eric Davidson said. "Just to be able to see all of the fruits of our hard labor that went into this is just something that we are really proud of."
The lights will be staying up at least until the end of the year.