Eye-catching Christmas decorations brighten the city

Damion Fowler hopped off his extension ladder and took a few steps back to admire his handiwork.

"Mi like it, man. It look good now," he said under his breath.

Fowler was standing in a mostly empty parking lot at Mall Plaza in St Andrew about midday yesterday, looking at the Christmas decorations he was just about finished setting up. He and fellow decorator, Nago Waugh, spent the past two weeks mounting Christmas lights to trees and metal poles at the popular plaza.

"It takes a lot of time, you know. Is not something you can rush either," said Waugh. "If you rush it, then you might make a mistake and that might cause you to have to undo everything and start from scratch. You can't afford for that to happen."

Yearly treat

The lights and other decorations, which include colourful tinsel and wreaths, have become a yearly treat for shoppers and passers-by. The adjoining Village and Tropical plazas were also being decorated yesterday.

"We did it last year too. It really bring a joy to the people," said Fowler. He and Waugh said they come up with the designs themselves and try hard to create eye-catching displays.

"Last year, when the lights turn on in the evenings, you just see people gather up across the road looking at it."

Now that the work of setting everything up is just about done for this year, the Yuletide lights may soon brighten the night sky and the spirits of countless onlookers once more.

Meanwhile, in sections of downtown Kingston, store owners were yesterday getting ready for what they hope will be a busy shopping season.

No change in price

Christmas lights, tinsel and other decorations were being brought out of storage at the King Street branch of Woolworth. Store Manager Donovan Montague was busy making space for a shipment of artificial Christmas trees which, he said, was set to arrive soon.

"It's still early, but we're giving early shoppers the option to buy their lights and decorations now if they want," he said.

"Because of the state of the economy, Christmas shopping has been starting later each year. We have, however, managed to keep the price of the lights the same as it was last year. This should encourage people to buy."

At several other stores in the area, workers were seen pasting festive stickers on windows and running Christmas lights across walls. At most of the stores visited by a Gleaner team, operators said they were still awaiting the arrival of their Christmas stock.

"We don't get the actual Christmas items until early December. At this time in November, we normally are doing the sourcing and buying," said the owner of a popular variety store, who asked not to be named.

"We're hoping for the best this year. We are going to do all we can to make it happen."