It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Jefferson City's downtown, as new holiday lighting is being installed.
Workers have been stringing Christmas lights the past several days in anticipation of a ceremony to turn on the lights Friday. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. at Capitol City Cinema, 126 E. High St. The actual lighting is scheduled to occur around 5 p.m.
This year, new LED lights are being put up to replace older lights, some of which are 20 years old and require a lot of maintenance. The lights are being strung on High Street business, as well as the city parking garage and other businesses along Madison Street.
"It's costing us $15,000 to do this, so we are taking donations to help with the cost," said Stephanie Bell, president of Downtown Jefferson City. "We've been told that these new lights will be very reliable and can last as long as five years before any maintenance needs to be done on them."
Bell said residents have been enthusiastic to donate funds for the lights, believing the lighting adds to the downtown during the holiday season.
Donations will be taken during Living Windows on Dec. 6, but residents can also donate on the group's website, downtownjeffersoncity.com.