MACON, Ga. — Christmas is just about a month away, and you might already see some lights being set up.
In downtown Macon, they'll be celebrating their 7th Annual Christmas Light Extravaganza.
From Nov. 24 through Jan. 3, people from all around Central Georgia and surrounding states flock to Macon for the Christmas Lights Extravaganza, and lots of businesses here benefit from it too!
Poplar Street will have over 1,000,000 Christmas lights synced to music performed by Macon Pops.
Bryan Nichols is the creator of the Christmas Light Extravaganza. He said he wanted to do something for the community that brings people to downtown Macon.
"I thought about lights and thought, you know, people drive everywhere to see lights so what if we did a display in downtown?" Nichols said.
Nichols also mentioned that he noticed a twinkle in the lights and in people's eyes as they walked and shopped downtown.
"I can see the kids, I can see the families, I can see the faces, I can see the businesses, I can see the change for our town and that's what keeps me going," he said.
For more than 80 downtown Macon restaurants and retailers, foot traffic is at an all-time high during the last few months of the year.
According to Visit Macon, just last year, over 800,000 people came to downtown Macon just for the lights.
Kelley Wrigley is the owner of Kudzu Seafood Company. She talked about how they have a front-row seat practically every year.
"It is a wonderful place to see the restaurant, to see the shops, to see the local community coming together to celebrate what we do have in this historic downtown," Wrigley said.
Wrigley talked about the importance of supporting local businesses, especially during the holidays. She says that the lights help do just that.
"It puts us on a happy note," Wrigley said. "It brings the people downtown and a lot of people still are afraid to come downtown. They need to get over the fear of that and embrace the local community. We're more mom-and-pop restaurants downtown more than anywhere else and that's what people need to experience."
Drew Jennings is the general manager of The Rookery. He says the hustle and bustle of people coming in and out of shops makes it a fun sight to see.
"It actually gives our patrons something to do to walk around for a little while," Jennings said. "It makes our job actually a little easier and harder at the same time because we're a lot busier too but it's always a good crowd downtown."
Overall, the Macon Christmas Light Extravaganza gives people a chance to enjoy downtown, especially if it doesn't cost a thing.
"When people show up in our town, they get to see a real taste of what true community is," Nichols said.
The first light show and opening concert is the day after Thanksgiving on Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. For more information, you can go to www.MaconChristmasLightExtravaganza.com.