It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in more places than just your local retail outlets and grocery stores. Count the City of Bridgeport in the mix as well.

 

On Monday, members of the Bridgeport Parks and Recreation staff began the process of getting the city into the holiday mood with the placement of decorations throughout several sections of the community. Parks and Recreation Director Don Burton said the process should be completed within the next two weeks.

 

“You’re usually looking at a couple of weeks to get all the work completed,” said Burton. “Weather shouldn’t be an issue as last year we did a lot of the work in cold and even snowy conditions at this time of the year. It would have to be something extreme, but I think the two weeks is a pretty good time frame.”

 

Most of the work that will be noticed – and could impact the public – will be along the U.S. Route 50-Main Street corridor that is more commonly referred to as downtown Bridgeport. Burton said the initial work will involve putting up the decorations along all of the lamp posts that run along the Main Street area.

 

“You’re looking, city-wide, at close to 80 lamp posts that have to be decorated,” said Burton. “Almost all of them are along Main Street.”

 

Another thing that will soon be taking place is putting up the city’s tree on the front lawn of the Benedum Civic Center. This will mark the third year the city has utilized a 22-foot artificial tree that was purchased and presented to Bridgeport by the Associated Businesses of Bridgeport.

 

“It’s usually among the last things that goes up, but that could change,” said Burton. “That always draws a lot of attention and it is certainly one thing people see that usually gets the community excited.”

 

Several other areas of the city will also see a Christmas spruce up. Burton said the bus terminal on Main Street will be decorate, along with the Bridgeport Fire Department, the Bridgeport Public Library and the Benedum Civic Center.

 

“It’s a labor intensive, which is why you’re looking at two weeks and we’ll get it up rain, sleet or snow,” said Burton. “This is certainly the one thing for us that signals the Christmas season is at hand.”

 

Burton did ask for residents to be aware there will be some minor traffic inconveniences along Main Street as the decorations go up. The city’s bucket truck will be utilized during the process of decorating the Main Street area and in places where the truck can’t fit safely on a sidewalk or grassy area, it will be situated along the edge of the road and blocking a portion of the roadway.

 

“We’ll have flaggers to make sure everyone can maneuver as safely and as easily as possible.

 

Bridgeport will officially kickoff the Christmas season with “Light Up Night” on Dec. 3. The Bridgeport Christmas Parade will then be held Dec. 5.