Gainesville mega-center to do Christmas tree lightings on five consecutive Fridays

The massive Butler retail complex in Gainesville, Fla., has five supermarkets and 44 food and beverage establishments, so why not five Christmas tree lightings?

Because the annual ceremony at the 267-acre center with three distinct sections typically draws a throng, Butler Enterprises deemed multiple lightings the best way to host large amounts of people in a socially distanced manner.

Each Friday for five weeks beginning Nov. 20, a lighting event will kick off at 6 p.m. All will feature different entertainment, so highly spirited holiday celebrators can attend more than one.

Featured acts on different Fridays will include the Dance Alive National Ballet performing scenes from The Nutcracker, Danscompany performing numbers from Cinderella, and the Christmas chorus from Gainesville Country Day School. 

Those who prefer to remain at home can watch the lighting, dancing, and singing at home via live-streaming on Butler’s Facebook and Instagram pages.