Macon Magazine

6 4 M ACO N M AG A Z I N E.CO M | O C TO B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9 chriStmaS may only come once a year, but the SeaSon'S Joy iS far reaching. Bryan Nichols, the mastermind behind the Main Street Christmas Light Extravaganza, knows this first- hand. He received two Downtown Challenge Fund grants from the Community Foundation of Central Georgia to create a Christmas lights display on Poplar Street. It started as a means to draw visitors to downtown and increase business, but thanks to his efforts, a group of volunteers and help from Main Street Macon, now a program of NewTown Macon, it has grown into so much more. Thousands of visitors come from across Georgia to bask in the glow of millions of lights. While in Macon, they stay in hotels, shop in boutiques and dine at local restaurants. "Day after day people were coming from everywhere," Nichols said. "It was everything I dreamed it would be, and a whole lot more, especially the impact on tourism." Emily Hopkins, director of place at NewTown, said the project represents a "new energy and momentum downtown" and is a benefit for everyone involved. "It's really helped downtown businesses," she said. "We spoke to several businesses who shared that their sales increased by 50 percent over last December, and we know that's all because of the lights." i m pAC T | 1 4 co m m u n it y fo u n datio n o f c e ntra l g eo r g i a "The Community Foundation's buy in for my Christmas lights project was just as valuable as the grant money they gave. Their partnership was immeasurable." — bryan nIChoLs impact MARYANN BATES MARYANN BATES MARYANN BATES MARYANN BATES JAVE BIORKMAN JAVE BIORKMAN Bi County the best chrIstMas gIft MaIn sTreeT ChrIsTMas LIGhTs exTravaGanza

• Cover