The Annual “Old Fashioned Downtown Christmas Walk” has been a long time tradition in North Bay, but COVID concerns mean the popular event will be put on ice this year.
Every year, the Walk is kicked off by the lighting of a giant Christmas tree in the park at Main and Fraser, where a large crowd gathers to count down the flipping of the switch and cheer when it bursts into light.
To keep the tradition going, you are being invited to join a "virtual" lighting of the Downtown Christmas Tree to signify the start of the holiday season.
The event will be shown live on Facebook and Instagram at 6 p.m. on Friday, November 27.
"We invite the community to show your love for Downtown," says DIA Administrative Assistant Amber Livingstone. Please check with your favourite downtown businesses for their special holiday hours, as well as options for contactless or curbside shopping."
See: Downtown Christmas Walk Photo Gallery
"We will have some pre-taped dignitary messages," Livingstone told BayToday. "This year we're trying to help everybody out and stay within the guidelines and asking people not to gather but we still want to have some Christmas spirit in the downtown."
She adds it was a tough decision not to have the walk this year.
"Absolutely, it's tough because it really the only decision you can make at this point in order to keep everybody around us safe. Usually, there is safety in numbers, but this is just the opposite. We still want people to enjoy the tradition of lighting the tree but it will be nice and warm at home but we are still encouraging people to come downtown and shop and still visit us."
