Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony is Saturday
Candice Boutilier/Columbia Basin Herald<br> Several people huddled for warmth preparing to watch "A Christmas Story" at Sinkiuse Square at the tree lighting ceremony in Moses Lake last year.
MOSES LAKE — Lights will sparkle along Third Avenue in Moses Lake Saturday, signifying the start of the holiday season.
At 6 p.m., lights on 20 poles will be triggered simultaneously as part of the Moses Lake Business Association’s Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony.
“From then on, they will come on every evening,” said Moses Lake Business Association Executive Director Marianne Bondi.
The event starts at 4 p.m. with entertainment.
Thief of Hearts and Rock’n B Cloggers are performing for the public.
The Columbia Basin Dutch Oven Society is providing chili and corn bread for a donation. Donations will be used to purchase turkeys for the Moses Lake Food Bank, Bondi said.
The Moses Lake Girl Scouts are selling hot chocolate and hot dogs.
After the lighting, a holiday movie will be shown at Sinkiuse Square.
In addition to lights decorating Third Avenue, banners proclaiming, “Season’s Greetings,” and wreaths also decorate the street.
The event concludes the 11th Annual Holiday Open House, which started Thursday.
Bondi said Moses Lake Business Association is running a shop local campaign this season.
“It’s a really important concept that … wherever you’re spending, then that’s the economy that you’re helping,” she said.
Several businesses in LakeTown Landing are participating in a “Third Thursday in LakeTown Landing,” in which businesses stay open later on the third Thursday of each month.
The 35 participating businesses stay open until at least 7 p.m., she said.
The event was started as a response from customers for later hours, Bondi noted.
“As the local people continue to patronize that, then that shows the merchants that they really are serious about shopping local,” Bondi said.
For more information, call 509-764-1745.