Old Cannery Annual Bridge Lighting and Holiday Party is Friday in Sumner

Spend your Black Friday in Sumner this year at the beloved annual holiday party and bridge lighting at The Old Cannery Furniture Warehouse.

There’s something for the child in everyone at this event, from visits with Santa to cups of hot cider and caroling, culminating in the bridge lighting itself, when Bridge Street Bridge transforms into a twinkling holiday spectacle lit with a backdrop of fireworks.

The Vendor Village opens at 2 p.m. on Friday and Bridge Street Bridge will light up at 5 p.m. The Diamond Experience will close the evening with a special holiday show on the Main Stage after the fireworks.

Local drivers should be warned that the Bridge Street Bridge will shut down in the evening for the festivities and visitors should arrive early to find parking.

Here’s Friday's schedule, from the Old Cannery:

• 11am: Santa arrives! He will be hanging out in Santa Land all day in the newly re-located to the Puyallup Showroom (same building) just a bit further back in the store, near the Scratch and Dent area.
• 2pm: Vendor Village opens. Do your holiday shopping early and pick up some new jewelry and accessories, cosmetics and candles. Snack away on kettle corn, pastries, chocolates and more.
• 3pm: Purchase coffee, cider and hot cocoa, plus hot roasted nuts!
• 4pm: Shake it out at the Brant Benson DJ show, Hula Hoop contest, relay snowball, Simon Says with “Caboose the Moose," and watch for Santa Claus arriving on the boogie woogie chu-chu train.
• 4:45pm: Fire truck arrives with special guests Santa, Sumner Mayor Dave Enslow and Chamber CEO Shelly Schlumpf behind the wheel.
• 5pm: Bridge Street Bridge will light up
• 5:02pm: Fireworks Display
• 5:15pm: Main stage show featuring The Diamond Experience
• 5:20pm: Caroling with the community (everyone loves to sing a Christmas song!)

Insider tips to enjoying the Bridge Lighting:

• Arrive early. The bridge won't close to traffic until 4:40 p.m. but with an expected crowd of 5,000, things will fill up quickly.  
• Park on the Main Street Side of the Bridge. The spots on Valley Avenue are expected to fill up fast. The Sumner Library, Sounder Station and McClendon's are all parking lots close enough to walk from. The Old Cannery parking lot will be open; however it will be the most difficult place to leave once the event ends. 
• Meet Santa early. Cannery volunteers will cut off the Santa Line early to make sure that he can get to the Bridge Lighting by 4:00 pm.