After a thirty-minute delay caused by one of the most sinister Christmas characters of all time, the city of Ocala lit up its tree and holiday lights on Saturday and officially kicked off the holiday season.
The 40th installment of Light Up Ocala took place on Saturday, November 23.
The event, which featured hundreds of vendors, a parade, and several other activities, was well attended, with thousands on hand to see the the lighting at 7 p.m.
After a technical delay, the countdown to light the tree was interrupted by none other than The Grinch, who made a video appearance at the event to announce that he had stolen the switch to the lights.
After a brief argument and a crowd-led singalong of “Jingle Bells,” the switch was retrieved and the countdown resumed.
Watch the seconds after the tree and lights were turned on in downtown Ocala:
Before the tree-lighting, multiple activity zones provided live entertainment throughout the day and night, including a puppet show situated next to the Marion Theatre.
The streets along the Historic Downtown Square were packed with people for several hours, and over 100 vendors and food trucks were on hand.
Streets leading into downtown Ocala were blocked by large garbage trucks and Ocala Police Department vehicles.
Additionally, the city provided shuttles to various parking destinations across the area that lifted the parking strain off downtown.
Did you attend this year’s Light Up Ocala? Share your comments and photos with us, or write a letter to the editor about your experience.
