What’s to come: Christmas Light Extravaganza, horses, music and markets

Christmas lights, including a new 38-foot lighted snowman, are up and working.  

Tunes are set for the opening live Macon Pops Christmas Spectacular at 6 p.m. on Nov. 28, with songs recorded for synchronous play with holiday lights through Jan. 4.  

The inaugural Marché de Noël: Macon Christmas Market is stocked.  

It’s time for the Macon Christmas Lights Extravaganza, with favorite features returning and a few extravagant additions. 

Here’s a glimpse into the festivities:  

Raines Carriage Rides

Charles Raines’ horse-drawn carriage rides have been a hit since the Christmas lights first turned on downtown in 2017.  

I talked to Raines as he was getting his horses – Pearl, Little Man, Caesar and Tik Tok – their regular vet visits. He said rides through the lights are $10 per person this year and, as usual, start at the fountain in Third Street Park, at the intersection of Cherry and Third streets.  

Sign up there for first-come, first-serve rides on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Advance reservations aren’t accepted.  

“We’re getting the horses all ready and always enjoy being down there giving rides,” Raines said. “We meet a lot of people and they seem to really enjoy taking the carriage through the lights.”  

The Lights Old and New

It was Bryan Nichols’ idea to put lights synchronized to Christmas music on the Poplar Street median — an idea that got him a lot of strange looks that first year as he spent months stringing lights by himself or hunched over his computer programming them.  

Folks know what he’s up to now, since his “harebrained idea” has proven to be one of Macon’s biggest successes.  

Lights, visitors and economic impact have multiplied. There’s the Macon Pops concert, snow-blowing machines, Selfies with Santa on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, live reindeer with Santa on Dec. 20, NewTown Macon’s S’mores on First Friday, and more.  

The number of blocks covered has increased, too. They’ve been extended up and down Poplar and go up Third Street to Cherry Street. Though Cherry Street itself has become brighter with lots of Christmassy lights at businesses, Nichols said plans to add Extravaganza lights to parts of Cherry Street were postponed until next year due to construction.  

“But we added Rosa Parks Square at Poplar and First streets this year,” Nichols said. “That’s where we’ve put the massive snowman, 38 feet tall, that you can walk through and where you can have a seat on benches. They haven’t finished final work on the square, but fences are down, flowers are in, and it’s usable.”  

With all the additions, how many lights are there now?  

“We quit counting after we hit a million,” Nichols said. “Now we just go with ‘over a million.’”  

It’s Doing Its Job

There are two sides to the Macon Christmas Lights Extravaganza: the fun and joy it brings and the economic impact it has. Nichols shares anecdotes every year, from countless kids having fun to widows and widowers coming nightly after losing loved ones, finding comfort in the lights.  

And then there are marriage proposals — growing along with the extravaganza.  

“I’m not down here as much every night like I used to be, but I saw 12 engagements while I was at the lights in that shorter time,” Nichols said.  

Incredulous, I asked if it was 12 just last year or combined over the years.  

“Nope, just last year – and with me not being down there every night.”  

Nichols said business owners no longer rush to share records because success has become expected.  

“By now, I think everyone just assumes we all know business is going great and growing year to year,” he said. “People used to run up to me and tell me they set a new record. Then it was more like a nod and smile. Now, it just sort of is what it is. And it’s good.”  

Even though the extravaganza was a week shorter last year due to how Thanksgiving fell on the calendar, visitor numbers were down slightly but dollars spent were up. Expectations are high again this year. 

“Last year, the Christmas Lights Extravaganza made about a $7.1 million economic impact, which is insane. It’s almost hard to fathom,” Nichols said. “But also, think about the sales tax that brings in. They’ve never brought in that much sales tax in December in the history of Macon-Bibb County, and so much of it comes from people traveling to Macon from elsewhere.  

“They say 685,000 people came last year, but they don’t track anybody under the age of 16 or people coming more than once. If you come more than twice, you’re seen as a local. Because of that, we don’t know the exact numbers, but we get a good idea. I mean, the lights are doing what they’re supposed to do.”  

Marché de Noël: Macon Christmas Market

In August, Visit Macon announced the first-ever Marché de Noël: Macon Christmas Market, a European-inspired holiday experience designed to complement the Macon Christmas Lights Extravaganza.  

The market runs Dec. 5-14, encompassing two weekends and weekdays in between. It will transform Cherry Street Plaza near the museums with wooden chalets for vendors and a large tent for a beer garden.  

Visit Macon President and CEO Gary Wheat said, “The new Macon Christmas Market will expand and support Macon’s rapid growth as a nationally renowned seasonal destination and an annual holiday tradition for families in and around Central Georgia. The Christmas Market not only creates magical memories for families but also supports local artisans, small businesses and downtown commerce while showcasing Macon as a vibrant holiday destination.”  

Marisa Rodgers, Visit Macon’s vice president and chief marketing officer, said the market wasn’t created to take business from local shops but to enhance it by encouraging visitors to stay longer.  

“It just gives additional opportunities for people to stay near the lights and engage with Macon a bit longer,” she said. “Hopefully, that means staying a night or two, eating in restaurants and taking the opportunity to shop and do other things across Macon.”  

On offer will be Christmas and European-themed goods and foods from local and other vendors. Think Baked Cheese Haus, Lisa’s Creperie and Café, candles, bath and beauty products, Winterborn Alpaca, MD Exchange, Squareish Woodworks, Crown Candy Company and more.  

Rodgers said the market harkens back to a holiday tradition with roots in medieval Europe, including Vienna in 1296. She said it is in part a nod to Macon’s sister-city relationship with Mâcon, France, and also reflects Bavarian, German and other European influences.

“Yes, we’ll be serving up the traditional gluhwein, have festive music, a beer garden and live performances blending traditional Christmas songs with international sounds,” Rodgers said. “It’s another opportunity for the community to come together for shopping, drinking, socializing and celebrating after a long year.”

So, Merry Christmas indeed. Invite your friends to town for a sampling of some of the best of where you live – and the lights – from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. through Jan. 4, with 45-minute lights-and-music segments repeating on the hour.

For specifics, check out maconchristmaslightextravaganza.com and visitmacon.org. For a comprehensive list of events, see newtownmacon.com.

Contact Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com. Find him on Instagram at michael_w_pannell.