By GINA KINSLOW
Joe Downing held his 15-month-old granddaughter, Virginia, Friday afternoon while waiting for the large Christmas tree on the courthouse lawn to be lit.
“Five, four, three, two, one,” Downing, of Glasgow, said as he joined others in counting down the seconds.
This was little Virginia’s first time to attend Light Up Glasgow, which is in its fourth year and is designed to bring people back to the downtown area after business hours.
Also attending for the first time was 8-month-old Maude Forrester, daughter of Jim and Emily Forrester, of Glasgow.
The minute the lights on the tree came on, the Forresters posed Maude and her big sister, 4-year-old Caroline, atop a large package trimmed in rope lights beneath the tree.
The Forresters are hoping to use the photo of the girls as their Christmas picture this year.
“We’ve come here for the past four years that we’ve been here, so we always take pictures,” Emily said. “We take a picture every year in front of the tree. This is our family tradition. We always come here to watch the lights on the square.”
Sitting atop a neighboring light-trimmed package was 14-month-old Macie Joy King, who came to see the Christmas lights with her parents, Terra and Matt King, of Livingston, Tenn., and her grandparents, Dave and Linda Pappas, of Glasgow.
The fact the city has such an event, which also featured music by the Calvary Baptist Church Choir, is something Linda said is “very nice.”
“I think it’s very inspirational,” she said. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for families to come out and enjoy the downtown area of Glasgow, which is absolutely beautiful. We enjoy looking at all the store windows. They are so beautifully decorated. It just puts you in the holiday spirit.”
Aside from the Christmas tree on the courthouse lawn, each lamp post around the square was decorated with bright lights, as well as the gazebo, the staircase leading to the second floor of the courthouse, the Barren County Government Center across the street and the windows of several downtown businesses.
Downtown business owners were asked to decorate their storefronts as part of the event.
The business with the best decorated windows received an award.
This year the award was given to Terri’s Diamonds and Fine Jewelry and to the Tick, Tock Clock Shop.
