The lights in downtown Macon are brightening the Poplar Street

More than 100 people watched the Christmas lights dance along Poplar Street to live music. The number of people was noticeably less this year compared to 2019 and the signs of COVID-19 were visible, with people wearing masks and “Santa-tizer” stations available for people to use. 

The owner of Decadent Patrick Polowichak said:

“During the pandemic, we modified our hours, we did strictly just a takeout option for a few weeks until we received more guidance. We are on pace with everything — this past week has been slow for us. It’s a lot different, I think it is going to be a different year for everybody. Everyone has been adapting well, the customers have been very understanding with the process we are doing to protect them”

He also added that his coffee shop saw about 300 customers the night the lights turned on this year.  More customers opted to get things like a slice of cheesecake to-go instead of staying inside.

We also spoke to other businesses off-camera who said even though they saw less foot traffic inside, customers still patronized their businesses People were definitely more understanding. 

Polowichak added the lights bring back a bit of normalcy to business during the COVID-19 pandemic.