Holiday Tree Lights Up Edmonds

The lighting of the holiday at Centennial Plaza went off without a hitch Saturday night, drawing gasps of delight from the crowd surging around Fifth Avenue North and Bell Street in Edmonds.

The annual ceremony, sponsored by the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce, capped off a busy day downtown, which was the scene of the . 

The event, conceived by American Express to help spotlight the efforts of local small businesses, encourages shoppers not to bypass Main Street for the mall.

, and the chamber were all on hand to hand out goodies, which included cookies, coffee, oranges and "Shop Small" tote bags.

After the lighting ceremony, Santa sat for pictures with children at the Edmonds Conference Center.