Santa waves to the crowd after being rescued from the top of Weaver’s Department store by the a Lawrence-Douglas County Fire-Medical Department ladder truck Friday, Nov. 28, 2014. Lawrencians celebrated the arrival of Santa and the lighting of the downtown Christmas decorative lights.

The holiday season will officially kick off in Lawrence on Friday evening, when about 60,000 light bulbs are switched on, illuminating downtown in the colors of Christmas. But the annual lighting ceremony has been canceled and the accompanying Santa rescue has been rescheduled, said Sally Zogry, director of Downtown Lawrence Inc.

The events, which Zogry guessed have been Lawrence traditions for at least the past decade, were set to start at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the intersection of Ninth and Massachusetts streets. The Lawrence High School choir and Lawrence Arts Center were among those scheduled to perform. Lawrence Mayor Mike Amyx was scheduled to proclaim the start of the holiday season and switch on the lights lining Massachusetts Street.

Instead, with near-freezing temperatures and precipitation throughout the day, the lights will switch on via a timer, Zogry said. A National Weather Service freezing rain advisory is in effect until 6 a.m. Saturday.

Santa’s annual appearance atop of Weaver’s Department Store, 901 Massachusetts St. has been rescheduled to Friday, Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. On that night, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical personnel use a ladder truck to rescue Santa, who will then set up across the street from Weaver’s, where children can share Christmas wishes with him and have photos taken.

The lights will remain on through Valentine’s Day, Zogry said.

“We know people love, love, love the lights and love that the lights chase away the winter blahs into February,” Zogry said.