It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas on the Covington Square. 

The city celebrated its annual Lighting of the Square Thursday night with thousands of people in attendance. 

Community development director Ken Malcom is one of the main faces behind the event. He said that the event is a culmination of the community coming together.

“To bring thousands of people together from all over our community all here to celebrate the Christmas season, the Thanksgiving season, it’s very rewarding for our staff,” Malcom said. “But it’s just so special to see the thousands of people, the thousands of faces, the children, just enjoying tonight.”

The festivities began at 6:30 p.m. with emcees Brandon Rose from the Newton County Arts Association (NCAA) and Emorja Roberson from Oxford College leading the charge. Choirs from Eastside, Newton and Alcovy high schools as well as the NCAA’s Oxford little singers, Oxford singing children and Oxford youth singers provided live music. 

Also bringing the Christmas spirit in musical form were singers from Oxford College and the Newton County Community Band.

Several local businesses and vendors from the area were also open for patrons to shop and enjoy the small businesses that Covington has to offer.

After much anticipation, the tree finally lit up the square at 7:45 p.m. to many “oohh’s” and “aahh’s.” The tree for this year is a brand new tree that replaces the one that’s been used for the past two years. A firework show accompanied the tree lighting with fireworks from Pyrotecnico.

Malcolm said that he’s been working with the city of Covington for 38 years, and he had never seen a crowd for this event as large as Thursday’s. He hopes that this event will continue to bring the community together.

“What we want to see happen after tonight, is that we want to see them [the community] come back,” Malcom said. “We want them [the community] to be back and enjoy this small town. This is the heart of our community, and we have to keep the heart healthy.”

Laura Sullivan, the tourism coordinator and Allen Martin, the downtown coordinator were also involved in the operations behind the event. 

Martin has had a long family lineage when it comes to this event in particular.

“My grandmother was a big part of it back in the 80s and early 90, owning the Covington flower shop. She encouraged all of the merchants on the square to stay open the Thursday before Thanksgiving,” Martin said. “I would always go on Thursday night to my grandmother’s flower shop because she wanted me to play the piano as people were coming in and out of her shop playing Christmas music on the piano.”

Martin often thinks back of those fond teenage memories and is proud to see where the event that has meant so much to him has turned into.

“Being a part of that and seeing where it’s grown now… it’s always a proud moment to see how that’s evolved throughout the years,” Martin said. “To say I have a very small part of that, it makes me very proud.”

Sullivan, too, shares that generational bond with this event.

“I’m from here, my parents are from here, my grandparents are from here, I’m a very generational person in Covington,” Sullivan said. “There’s something really special and seeing your parents out there and [seeing] them really proud of you.”

Sullivan says that playing a role in the community’s big events such as the square lighting “never gets old” to her.

“Me being a part of their [her family] town as well as an adult and making an impact on the community I was raised in, that never gets old,” Sullivan said. “It’s one of the best feelings.”

Several elected officials also attended the event including Board of Commissioners chairman Marcello Banes. 

“This is a great opportunity for the community,” Banes said. “It’s a time where everybody’s working and everybody is kind of stressed out and this is one way that we believe you can give back to the community and they can come out and relax and have fun as a family and enjoy.”

City of Covington mayor Steve Horton has said he’s been going to this event for over two decades and he always looks forward to seeing the crowd in attendance. Horton recognized the event as an “epitome of love.”

“For me, it’s the crowd and the faces in the crowd, and it’s been a growing crowd every year,” Horton said. “This [event] is an epitome of love to me right here and I always say to folks that we can always use more love. Please be mindful of one another and tell someone that you love them today.”