BERWICK -- Volunteers are busy getting ready for a 68-year holiday tradition to begin Saturday night in Berwick.
The popular Christmas Boulevard almost didn't happen this year until a small group decided to keep the tradition alive.
Christmas Boulevard transforms a street in Berwick into mile-long stretch of holiday fun.
Organizers of the event this year say just weeks ago decorations were broken and old, interest was down, and it looked like it just wouldn't happen, but they made sure it will go on bigger and better.
For the volunteers putting the finishing touches on Christmas Boulevard in Berwick, the last few weeks have been a blur of hard work to make this longtime holiday tradition happen.
Six weeks ago, it didn't look like it would.
"Myself and Travis Petty looked at each other and said this can't happen. This is the 68th year and we have to keep the tradition going," said organizer Michael Monico.
Monico and a small group of other residents decided to keep this alive, remembering the joy they got as boys coming to see a mile-long stretch of Market Street taken over by Christmas cheer.
But the group responsible up until now was running out of steam.
"I was on council last year when we voted to have the other people taken off of it, so I felt obligated to come out here and give them a hand to help them out," said volunteer Tom Metz.
Now new lights are going up and new buildings are housing decorations. Very little was salvageable from before.
"Everything's new this year, the whole lighting display. When we light it up it's going to be really awesome," Metz said.
There is so much new this year, including Santa's new shed. And all this costs money. The group raised $60,000 to pay for all this, in only the past five weeks.
"Five, six weeks with the funding, building, planning designing, all that in five, six weeks," Monico added.
It doesn't do Christmas Boulevard justice to drive along in the daytime. You can see the extent of all the decorations, but this is meant to sparkle and impress at night.
Volunteer Mark Spaid was adding an all-important touch in Berwick: the bulldog. He's glad to help keep all this going in place filled with so much hometown pride.
"It was close. It wasn't going to happen from what I heard. I'm just glad it's going to happen and it's going to be a lot bigger and better."
Christmas Boulevard in Berwick opens Saturday night at 6 p.m. with special trolley and hay rides. Then you can check it out every night from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. until Christmas Eve, right in the heart of Berwick.
