Chamber hopes lights draw a crowd

Blaine Chamber of Commerce president Pam Christianson is picturing a bustling downtown when they flick on the Christmas lights along Peace Portal Drive next weekend. “I remember when the kids were little, 20 years ago. The stores stayed open. They had cider and cookies and sales. People stayed and shopped and visited.”

The chamber has a full day of festivities planned for December 7, starting with a craft fair at the Pizza Factory. “There will be different crafters, many of them local,” Christianson said. The craft fair runs from noon to 5 p.m. and Santa will be there from 1 to 3 p.m. for pictures, taken courtesy of the high school Spanish club.

In the afternoon the boys and girls club will put up and decorate a tree at the end of H Street, and the city public works department will cap off days of stringing lights by hanging the big lighted star built last year by city public works director Leroy Dougall.

The lights will go on at 6 p.m. and the community will sing Christmas Carols and wait for Santa to show up on the fire truck, his traditional mode of transportation in Blaine. “I’m encouraging all the local businesses to stay open at least until after Santa leaves,” Christianson said. “There will be people downtown. Maybe they’ll shop.”
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