Alec Schruhl attaches a Christmas wreath to a light pole on Center Street Wednesday Nov.18.
LOGAN – While COVID-19 numbers are on the rise, some people are feeling hopeless and discouraged. For folks that are looking for a little relief, downtown Logan could be just the place to be. While the city is trying to discourage large gatherings there is plenty of room downtown to get into the spirit of the holidays. Downtown merchants have been decorating their stores in hopes of drawing people to the their shops and restaurants.
Christmas came early this year on Center Street. Logan City Forestry department was busy last week putting up the Christmas decorations on light poles and plugging them in.
Alec Schruhl was in the lift bucket attaching the wreaths and helping attach the top of the lighted garland while Nick Davis and Jeff Herzog were on the ground. Herzog and Davis were unloading, untangling and handing the garland to Schruhl.
When they plugged everything in it looked impressive.
Meanwhile, Mark Anderson of Anderson Seed and Garden and his crew were assembling the 18-foot-tall Christmas Trees.
“It’s a shame last year we had thousands of people here for the parade, Santa and the lighting ceremony,” he said. “This year the lights will be on as soon as we are done. There will be no lighting ceremony the Saturday after Thanksgiving due to COVID.”
Anderson said there have been several customers coming into his store telling him they are putting up Christmas decorations early to brighten up their lives during the pandemic.
With no lighting ceremony, the lights have been on when they are finished decorating, Anderson said.
Gary Saxton, director of the Logan Downtown Alliance, said the lights on Center Street look festive and they have been on since the middle of last week.
“We are unable to gather because of COVID,” Saxton said. “We won’t have our Christmas lighting ceremony, but the the decorations are up and when it gets dark the lights go on.”
Bluebird Candy company is planning to have their giant ornaments made from candy hanging in their downtown location this weekend.
The Gingerbread Parade will go on this year in store fronts throughout downtown Logan.
Saxton said this will be 21 years the annual Parade of Gingerbread Homes contest in Downtown Logan has been going on. This year downtown merchants will host the event from December 5–26.
“This event has grown into a much-loved local tradition, not only for the architects who design gingerbread creations but for everyone who participates by voting on their favorite edible wonderland,” Saxton said. “This year, each architect will have a chance to win one of six $100 Grand Prizes.”
Voting ballots will be available at downtown Logan host locations on December 5.
This year, the sites and architects can be found at:
- Locker 42, 36 South Main Street
- Kira Jack, “These are a Few of My Favorite Things”
- Eccles Theatre (Cache Arts), 43 South Main Street
- Robyn & Blake Rusch, “The Whittier Center Presents The Nutcracker”
- Anderson’s Seed & Garden, 69 West Center Street
- Rachel Martin, “Cache Valley Christmas with a Lair Tree”
- Coppins Hallmark, 15 North Main Street
- Heather Abrams, “Catching Christmas All Around the Town”
- Cache Valley Antiques, 81 North Main Street
- Sue Ann Salmon, “A Double Decker Christmas”
- U&I Furniture, 28 West 100 North
- Jennifer & Ashlyn Erickson , “Corner Cottage on Marindale”
- The Sportsman, 131 North Main Street
- Jackie Haws Bradshaw, “Cache Valley Christmas Cabin”
- SE Needham Jewelers, 141 North Main Street
- Stuart Needham, “Elsa goes to Utah State”