LODI, Calif. — There may not have been snow, but downtown Lodi was becoming a winter wonderland Friday.
"We started last week," said Kitty O'Neill, employee at Burton's Shoes.
While the holiday decorations inside the decades-old shoe store just went up, the Downtown Lodi Business Alliance has been preparing for months.
For the first time, they've added festive lights stretching from Lodi Avenue to Locust Street and planned at least four events to keep the holiday spirit alive through the new year.
"A lot of businesses are doing no sales tax, gifts, giveaways, drawings, so there's a lot to look forward to," said Sandy Hohn of House of Clocks.
There's also something for shoppers to look forward to on the road.
After a successful trial run last December, the city of Lodi decided earlier in November to extend free parking in the area.
Starting Friday, visitors can park for up to four hours every day until Christmas Eve, up from the previous 90-minute limit.
"I think people will want to stay put longer," said shopper Julie Skelton who made the drive from Santa Cruz to visit family and shop in Lodi. "Shop, go get lunch and really hang out."
The work to drum up business downtown continued into the day after Thanksgiving. Students from Tokay High School's FFA class spent the morning putting up 65 wreaths on most light posts meanwhile in the afternoon, workers assembled a life-sized gingerbread house alongside two decorated Christmas trees.
"Lodi Beer Company hired us—our school, in a sense—they hired us to make all these wreaths and hang them here in downtown for the Christmas season," said student Isaac Perez. "It brings that spirit so people will kind of want to stop by."
It was a job that took almost four hours on the last day of their Thanksgiving break, but shoppers say it was worth it.
"We got to see a group of people hauling in tons of wreaths that they were about to hang up," said Skelton. "I love seeing the people start decorating, and everyone's getting into the Christmas mode for sure, quickly."
The quick transition to a winter wonderland, business owners hope, will translate into a profit paradise.
"It's a short shopping season, but we're very excited to have people come in and see what we have," said Hohn. "I think the forecast is good. I don't see rain for a while, so come on out and enjoy."
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