Holiday finery

Downtown Lawrence is putting out the welcome mat for a variety of holiday activities.

Downtown Lawrence is all decked out in its holiday finery and ready to play host to a busy schedule of pre-Christmas events.

Lights once again grace the trees along Massachusetts Street following the completion of electrical upgrades that went along with the major waterline replacement project that stretched through the last two summers. Street lights in the area also are sporting garland wraps and bright red bows that give downtown a festive look in the daytime hours. It’s great to see Downtown Lawrence Inc. making an extra effort to update the area’s holiday look.

It’s only fitting, considering the number of holiday events scheduled downtown in the next month. The Festival of Trees to benefit The Shelter Inc. kicks off at Liberty Hall next week, and the popular 15th Lawrence Old-fashioned Christmas Parade is scheduled for Dec. 1. The 13th annual Gingerbread Festival and Auction to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Douglas County will be Dec. 4 at the Eldridge Extended, and the Lawrence Arts Center will play host to a number of special fairs and events.

This is, by no means, a complete listing of holiday events that will keep Lawrence hopping in the coming weeks. Christmas events are scheduled throughout the community, but downtown Lawrence seems at the heart of the city’s holiday celebration and it’s good that the city is putting out the welcome mat. We hope both local shoppers and visitors from out of town will choose to do their holiday shopping in Lawrence and make this a good holiday season for merchants in downtown and throughout the city.