Downtown Raleigh Alliance

Another holiday season brings another Fayetteville Street holiday tradition. The holiday season of 2006 was the first Raleigh had enjoyed since reclaiming its main street. The city celebrated with the first ever lighting of the trees lining Fayetteville Street. 

Mayor Charles Meeker will throw the switch on more than 25,000 twinklers at 5:15 pm on the east side of the 100 block of Fayetteville Street. At least 500 bulbs will enlighten and enliven the 64 trees that flank Fayetteville Street. Victorian carolers and free horse-drawn carriage rides will complete the Dickensian scene. The lighting and the event are being sponsored by the Downtown Raleigh Alliance. 

The new holiday tradition to join the street lighting will be the Countdown to First Night, which is an outdoor visual art display of 30 banners created by local students, professional artists and community organizations. Each banner will depict a way in which the citizens of Raleigh celebrate the joys of the season. A banner will be unveiled at 5 pm each day leading up to First Night 2008. The banners will festoon the Alexander Square Parking Deck in the 100 block of Fayetteville Street.

Among the creators of the banners are Broughton High School Art Club students, Millbrook High School Art Club students, Athens Drive High School students, members of the Southwest Wake YMCA Teen Program and the Washington Boys and Girls Club, Jason Craighead, Keith Norval, Matthew Curran, Loaves and Fishes, Marbles Kids Museum and George Le Chavellier.