Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward says the city is making plans for outdoor winter and holiday celebrations to improve peoples’ moods and allow them to safely be out in the community.
“There are some things we have learned in the past in our Covid recovery, and that is we can do events very safely like we did Fourth of July," Woodward said.
On Friday she announced a series of initiatives, including a weekly winter Marketplace at the pavilion in Riverfront Park. She says the city has arranged with about 20 vendors and food trucks to set up shop from 3-to-7 p-m each Wednesday in December and January.
She says the city will also hold a Virtual Tree Lighting ceremony next Friday, with a holiday tree walk and Trail of Lights holiday display at Riverfront Park in December. Woodward says the city is also working to reopen the park’s skate ribbon, with smaller-than-usual capacity, and is planning a drive-through holiday light show at Manito Park.
Besides the events, the mayor says the city is working to help small businesses.
“They made it very clear that they need our help in communicating to the community and to customers that they are following public health guidelines and that we need to make sure that people know that they can safely go to our businesses and use online and curbside and in-store options," Woodward said.
Woodward says the city is designating the next four Saturdays at Small Business Saturdays as a way to encourage consumers to buy from local companies.