SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The annual lighting of the WEJL Tower in Scranton on Wednesday is a beloved tradition that dates back to the 1960s.
"This all started back in the 1960s when people got together from the radio stations here that were a part of our family group of people and they wanted to make our tower which is a focal point of downtown something festive so they decided let's put lights in the tower," said Times Shamrock Media Senior Vice President and Marketing Manager Terry Deitz.
Knowing how much of an important landmark the tower is the city, organizers decided to share the joy by creating an event that brings the community together.
You can watch the lighting of the WEJL Tower below.
"It used to be hey we're gonna have a party inside the building and do it as our special in-house party and then somewhere a couple few years ago somebody said let's make it bigger," Deitz explained.
Even after the local newspaper group was sold, the radio stations stepped in to keep the cherished tradition alive.
"Last year when our newspaper group was sold off to a new company, the radio stations took over the lighting of the tower again, we had it in a smaller footprint, this year we expanded the footprint. This is just something that we believe we should do and we have to do, because traditions in this area are so important," Deitz continued.
Holiday light displays and activities in northeastern Pennsylvania
The event now spans the 100 and 200 blocks of Penn Avenue, inviting the community to join in and make the tower sparkle every step of the way.
"When we came out of the pandemic everyone was kinda like 'Oh my gosh, what's gonna happen?' This was a bright spot, and it's continued to be that with people coming out, families just enjoying the fireworks, they enjoy the tower lighting, and the anticipation," Deitz stated.
The lighting of the tower started at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday and was followed by fireworks.
The event also had some guest appearances with Santa and the Phillie Phanatic.
