There’s nothing quite like a tree lighting to get people into the holiday mood, but this year, a lot of cities and towns are canceling those events. One town is asking residents to find a different way to celebrate by thinking local.
With the flick of a switch, colorful lights brightened the Milford Green Friday night. It lifted the spirits of those who had been waiting and became a perfect spot for families to take some holiday photos.
“We come back every year typically for the tree lighting and the Santa and the hot chocolate and the horse and carriage rides,” said Westport resident Kelly Freitag, whose family still lives in Milford.
Tradition changed quite a bit this year. Milford decided not to host the annual tree lighting and instead asked people to celebrate the holiday lights by grabbing takeout at a local restaurant. That’s exactly what the Freitag family did.
“Normally we eat leftovers, but we decided to support Colony Pizza and get the pizza,” said Milford resident Sheila Freitag.
“I feel like it’s the best thing to do to support local businesses,” said Kelly. “My father owns a home improvement business. It’s hard.”
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At GG’s Wood Fired Pizza, they say the lights are a great way to bring some joy and are thankful so many are thinking about small businesses when they shop.
“With all these hard times, the love and support that is from this community is just incredible,” said GG’s Wood Fired Pizza owner George Pastorok.
The lights will be on each night during the holiday season, so there are plenty of chances to drive by and grab some food from a local restaurant.
