The first Saturday of December marked the return of Light up Lakewood, a booming holiday tradition. Hosted by LakewoodAlive, the event offers citizens a chance to experience the community through good food from food trucks, live music, unique shops and a festive holiday vibe — a staple that citizens can’t resist.

​The spirited walk from Marlowe Avenue to Arthur Avenue transforms Downtown Lakewood into a winter wonderland. Attractions like photos with Santa outside the Lakewood Public Library get families ready for the Christmas season. The Holiday Market, located inside the Masonic Temple, introduces shoppers to a vast array of goods and trinkets.

​The work for the event begins early in the year. “At the very beginning of the year, we’re going to be having conversations with sponsors — specifically, title sponsors. So the first thing we usually try to do is have our title sponsor locked in for all of our events,” said LakewoodAlive Operations Manager Jo Higgins.

Higgins, who oversees community events, volunteer projects, and small business support, noted how much the event has evolved. “It didn’t always have the Holiday Market inside the Masonic Temple, and it didn’t always have a beer garden. It has changed so much, and people continue to come. I think that’s my favorite part — it’s more about tradition — and that people know they’re kicking off the holiday season,” Higgins said.

LakewoodAlive’s team works tirelessly to collaborate on a kickoff to the holidays with Light Up Lakewood immediately following the summer Meltdown event. This year brought an exciting new addition: a sign language interpreter on the main stage. The interpreter provided American Sign Language interpretation for parade announcements and songs, marking a meaningful step forward toward greater inclusion and accessibility.

​Just like every year, music remained a central element in the event. Justin Gorski and his band HOKE performed for the first time at Light Up Lakewood, offering their own upbeat spin on beloved Christmas classics to the Lakewood community.

This version is just a four-piece, so it’s just drums, bass guitar, keyboards, and we’re calling it HOKE for the Holidays instead of Home for the Holidays,” Gorski said.

A heartwarming moment occurred when HOKE invited neighborhood children onto the stage to debut their own Christmas song. “Everyone is just in a good mood, and they’re really supportive of everyone. It’s just a fun atmosphere to be around that kind of Christmas festival,” Gorski said. Their performance was able to capture the perfect essence of nostalgia in the modern-day holiday event.

​One of the biggest selling points that makes the event truly memorable is the showcase of small business owners and vendors. Found inside the Holiday Market at the Masonic Temple, and lined along the streets, vendors were able to bring their own creativity, curating products for the holiday season and year-round sales.

​“The Holiday Market is a little bit more curated to be more of a boutique, retail experience for people to find gifts. While there’s still a shopping aspect to the street festival, there are also just more random street vendors or people who are organizations that are not retail-based,” Higgins said.

​Each booth perfectly represents the maker behind it. The goods that are presented range from candles and knitted accessories to Lakewood-themed gear, baked treats, and carefully crafted home décor. For many businesses, Light Up Lakewood is a crucially important event to get their name and brand message out to the community.

“It seems like we’ve been well-received by everyone who’s come through. Whether or not people buy anything, at least we’re getting our name out there,” Liz Figueroa said.

Liz Figueroa and her husband, Tony Figueroa, owners of Spooky Bay Gothic, were among the street vendors, specializing in gothic-themed resin work.

“We sell a little bit of everything. We do some prints, we do resin, and we also do oddities. We do a lot of book-inspired things as well, so we do a little bit of everything,” Tony Figueroa added.

Businesses, just like Spooky Bay Gothic, highlight the traditional charm of the event. Some stands may have more Christmas-themed items, while others bring bold, niche artistry that stands among the crowds. The changing trend in artistry and creativity reflects the diverse nature of Lakewood, Ohio.

​As the year goes on and the event progresses, the core holiday feeling stays the same. Through the vendors, the parade, the music, and most importantly, the memories. Even if that’s in the snow and cold, LakewoodAlive and Lakewood citizens find a way to make it just as memorable each year.