You know it's Christmas time when Christmas music takes over the radio and the hunt for twinkling lights starts.
"People were driving to Callaway Gardens and sometimes an hour just to see one house," creator of Main Street Christmas Light Extravaganza, Bryan Nichols says.
So Nichols got an idea to bring the joy of the lights to Downtown Macon with a Christmas Light Extravaganza!
"Create memories have tradition and experience local talent and entertainment, so it was kinda the best of all of those things while bringing people from outside to Macon to see it," he says.
The success last year was shocking, bringing in more than 100,000 people!
"Social media just went bananas," Nichols says.
You may remember Christmas lights shining up and down Poplar Street. Well, this year they plan to make it bigger and better than ever!
"Last year, it was just 2 1/2 city blocks. This year, it's going to be 4 1/2 city blocks, so it'll be from first street all the way up to MLK," Nichols says.
This expansion will have a huge impact on the local businesses.
"Monday nights imagine doing twice the business three times the business," restaurant owner, Cesare Mammarella says.
He says this is an event you don't want to miss!
"It's something very unique that I feel have been missing here in downtown and I definitely feel like they've filled that holiday void as far as a downtown atmosphere goes," he says.
But the over half a million lights aren't the only thing Nichols has in store, "we are going to have horse and buggy rides every weekend on third street. On Decemeber 22nd we have live reindeer coming to Poplar Street," he says.
Nichols says the endless nights of hard work are all worth it in the end.
"You know sometimes it gets really really tiring but knowing what's coming knowing that all of those kids faces and watching them be so joyous and watching the older people out there dancing and just smiling and the memories that are being made I mean there's nothing better than that," he says.
You can check out the light show downtown from November 30th through January 4th.
Here's the full list of events going on!
Nov. 30 - Community Tree Lighting at the Macon City Auditorium. 6:30
Nov. 30 - Dec. 16 - Mary Poppins at Theatre Macon.
Dec. 1 - Shop local in downtown
Dec. 2 - Christmas Parade - 4:00
Dec. 3 - Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital Christmas Tree Lighting - 6:00
Dec. 5-9 - Nutcracker of Middle Ga. at The Grand Opera House
Dec. 7 - First Friday featuring S’mores for Scarves on Poplar Street. 5:00-8:00
Dec. 8 - Pictures with the Grinch at Golden Bough Bookstore. 1:00-2:00 & 4:00-5:00
Dec. 7-8 - Intown Tour of Homes
Dec. 8 - Kringle Krawl- 4:00-11:00
Dec. 8 - A Randell Bramblett Christmas at The Library Ballroom. 8:00
Dec. 10 - kids Christmas in PJs Dinner at Ocmulgee Brewpub. 5:00-9:00
Dec. 11 - Celtic Women of Ireland-Christmas Angels at The Grand Opera House. - 7:30
Dec. 15 - Christmas in Downtown- Rosa Parks Square. 2:00-6:00
Dec. 15 - A Christmas Carol at The Grand Opera House. 3:00-5:00
Dec. 22 - Live Reindeer on Poplar 6:00-10:00