Blair kicked off the holiday season with a tree lighting ceremony Thursday night.
The tree next to City Hall was decked out in double the lights it typically sees, and the lights downtown were turned on for the first time, too.
This was the first year for the event after the Washington County Chamber of Commerce announced it would no longer host the Sugarplum Festival, which marked the beginning of the holiday seasons for nearly the last two decades.
The tree lighting ceremony was a great move by the city. How could a town Blair's size not have some type of holiday event? Though it was a simple gathering due to the short notice, it has room to grow — something the organizers would like to see happen.
This was a good starting point for the community. Now, the city can build partnerships to expand the event. They could partner with the Blair Volunteer Fire Department to host its soup supper and have Santa Claus visit.
But this could also be an opportunity for volunteers to get involved.
Let's hope the holiday cheer from this event continues to spread next year into something that becomes an annual tradition for Blair.
