Three million lights brighten downtown

Downtown Nacogdoches was set aglow with Christmas lights Saturday night, kicking off the holiday season. The ante was upped from last year’s 2 million lights to more than three million lights twinkling downtown this year. [Planet Christmas: The World's Most Extreme Christmas Decorations!]

The lighting ceremony begins the 10th annual Nine Flags Festival, which honors the diverse cultures of the nine flags that have flown over Nacogdoches throughout history.

Among the many activities at the festival Saturday were live entertainment, vendor booths, carriage rides, train rides, face painting and games. Santa was also downtown preparing his list and taking pictures with children.

The Sterne-Hoya House Museum offered guided tours led by guides dressed in period costumes. DIGIKIDS offered free child safety CDs at the Main Street fire station.

But the main event came when the three million lights were switched on.

The brick streets of downtown sparkled with the luminous glow and warm feel of the holiday season.

Although, it seems as if it all happens with just the flip of a switch, there is a lot that goes into setting up the many lights downtown.

“A lot of work went into all this,” Erin Drago, special events coordinator of the Nacogdoches Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, said. “We started preparing for this about two months ago.”

Most people get frustrated with untangling their Christmas lights at home, just imagine the work that goes into more than three million lights.

“It took many hours and volunteers to get it all done,” Sherri Skeeters, lighting ceremony chairwoman, said. “There weren’t any real complications, just normal troubleshooting and changing strands. We had to order more lights this year.”

Immediately after the lights, Nacogdoches was treated to a fireworks display that warmed the cool night air — a perfect beginning to the holidays.

The lighting ceremony was sponsored by Commercial Bank of Texas, KTRE-TV and Clear Channel Communications.