New ParagraphThere is only one word for Black Friday, 2020: Ouch.

According to a CNBC story, “Traffic at stores on Black Friday fell by 52.1% compared with last year, as Americans by and large eschewed heading to malls and queuing up in lines for shopping online.”

In Glendale, some of that pandemic-generated sting was soothed, thanks to Glendale Glitters and Small Business Saturday.

The evening after Thanksgiving, older couples and young families enjoyed a stroll around Murphy Park as thousands of lights wrapped around trees, plants, buildings and just about everything else imaginable clicked on with the setting sun.

Glendale Glitters “appeared to have a good deal of foot traffic over the holiday weekend, now the question is how did that translate to sales?” said Robert Heidt, president and CEO of the Glendale Chamber of Commerce.

“I did see a few merchants share via social media things went well for them and/or have been going well given the circumstances around COVID,” he added.

Heidt saw a post that downtown restaurant La Piazza al Forno “crushed it” and the Astrology Store had a strong weekend.

Though there was no big kickoff event this year, the festive Glendale Glitters lights will be on every night at 5 p.m.

The display of nearly 2 million lights over 16 blocks will twinkle nightly until 10 p.m.



Downtown merchants and restaurants are participating in the holiday spirit, even if the crowds of most years are not to be found.