Holiday lighting will likely not go dark

The city of Philadelphia will still light its Christmas tree, and the Center City District is not planning any cutbacks in it’s holiday lighting.

Holiday lighting appears to have survived city budget cuts. The city of Philadelphia will still light its Christmas tree, and the Center City District is not planning any cutbacks in it’s holiday lighting.

Center City District Executive Director Paul Levy says the lights will shine bright on Market Street – and the Avenue of the Arts on South Broad Street.

Levy: Fortunately on the Avenue of the Arts the funding for that was done in the last two years both with major property owners contributing and and some of the foundations and the state. The expensive part was the capital side.

Levy says since the energy efficient LED’s don’t cost much money to operate. Rittenhouse Square’s holiday lighting was threatened, but the Electricians Union volunteered laborers for the project, cutting costs significantly, and that display is also expected to go on scheduled.