Light Up Ocala amazes

You can always bet on thousands of people coming to the downtown square each year for the Light Up Ocala event. What you can’t always bet on is the weather. This year, however, all those happy event-goers were glad to have some cool “sweater weather” to go with the celebration.

This was the 40th version of the beloved annual event. As always, it included that magical moment when a giant switch was flipped, this year by the Herrera family, to illuminate glittering holiday lights all over the square and surrounding areas.

The event marched off with the Junior Sunshine Parade, sightings of Santa and Mrs. Claus, lots of entertainment and, of course, vendors and downtown businesses offering a wealth of options for every age range.

Visitors will be able to see all the splendor through the end of the year, including the lights, the giant central Christmas tree and more.