GREENSBORO- The streets of downtown Greensboro were bustling with holiday cheer Friday night during the annual Festival of Lights celebration, which coincided with downtown's First Friday series where shops keep their doors open until 9 p.m.

And that meant businesses were seeing big crowds.

"We've got a really nice crowd here and there's lots of people outside and there's entertainment out there," Jim Gutsell, owner of South Elm Pottery and Gallery, said.

People enjoyed listening to music, horse carriage rides, and some time singing along with friends.

"I love to see so many people participating, it's wonderful,” Marilyn Blaylock of Jamestown said. “It makes it feel like Christmas."

A new addition to the Festival of Lights this year was a 35-foot tall Christmas tree that was donated by the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation. This year, the tree lighting was moved from Hamburger Square to Center City Park.

"We wanted to have a little bit more space to work with and to accommodate the crowds that like to come to the event and Center City Park of course has become such a great community gathering place that it seemed to be a natural fit for having and hosting the event," Ed Wolverton, CEO of Downtown Greensboro Inc., said.

After a community sing-along, the tree lit up the night sky, which officially kicked off the Christmas season for Greensboro.

"Christmas is here now." Blaylock said.

The tree will remain lit in Center City Park through the holiday season and will be reused in the years to come.