Though rain spit for part of the afternoon, it turned out to be a snow filled Sunday evening by the time Galesburg residents made it to the Amtrak Depot to watch the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree.
Silas Willard Elementary School student Abbey Gonzalez helped Mayor John Pritchard and other city officials “flip the switch.”
That lighting culminated the inaugural “Galesburg Express” holiday event, put together by the chamber of commerce.
Chamber Executive Director Jessica Linder estimates over 1,500 patrons made their way downtown to take part in shopping and entertainment.
“We had 181 people getting on and off the train,” Linder says. “We saw over 700 people at the Orpheum Theatre, we saw over 400 go through Prairie Players Theater, so, lines at the depot, lines everywhere. Business owners are really excited.”
When asked if she felt the weather kept potential patrons at home, Linder says she couldn’t have asked for a better turnout and for the weather to have hit when it did.
She says the chamber will hold the event again next year.
