At 6 p.m. on Friday, November 20, the crowd at Gazebo Island will gather around the Christmas tree for the traditional lighting with the Salvation Army and Mayor Laubaugh. Luminaries will line the sidewalks, and sign-ups for Trail Light Farms carriage rides will open at the Carriage Station.
The sidewalks and the downtown gazebo are both part of the city's Downtown Infrastructure Project. The bids for that project are due three days before the Candlelight Walk. This is the last holiday season on the downtown Wadsworth people know. Below is the full holiday calendar and the reasons it carries more weight this year.
What the city plans to rebuild
The project starts underground. According to the Medina Gazette's September report, it replaces century-old water, sanitary sewer and stormwater lines in the historic downtown. It also covers sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, lighting, landscaping and traffic signals. The plans call for wider sidewalks, street trees, alley connections and accessibility upgrades, plus changes to East Park and the downtown gazebo.
The project nearly stalled this summer. In June, The Ruhlin Company presented a proposed maximum price of about $17.6 million. The city had budgeted about $13.2 million, so the proposal ran roughly $4.4 million, or 33 percent, over. It also covered a smaller version of the project than earlier plans. The biggest gaps were about $1.8 million for stormwater work, about $1.3 million for streetscape and landscaping, and nearly $1 million for water utility work. The city turned that proposal down and switched to traditional competitive bidding. It also plans to hire an outside construction manager and have an independent inspector on site regularly.
City Council adopted Ordinance 26-110 on October 6, which authorizes the public service director to advertise for bids. The city's bid board lists the Downtown Infrastructure bid as open until 1:30 p.m. on November 17, 2026. In September, Director of Public Service Matthew Hiscock described the schedule to the Medina Gazette this way:
"We're still on target there. It's just the time frames getting condensed and condensed every week."
At that point the target for starting construction was late January or early February 2027. The Gazette's October 19 update says only that construction is expected in 2027 and that the city will share the schedule and phasing after it picks a contractor and construction manager. Either way, this holiday season comes before the work begins.
The Candlelight Walk on the current streets
The Candlelight Walk depends on the parts of downtown the project will change. The Wadsworth Chamber's listing, which Main Street Wadsworth hosts, describes luminary-lined sidewalks, lit buildings and trees, decorated windows, and more than 30 downtown small businesses and restaurants taking part. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. on November 20. The Chamber's event page lists it through 9 p.m., and the city calendar lists 8 p.m.
Here is the evening by the clock:
- 5 p.m. Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus begin at the Library.
- 5:30 p.m. The Carriage Station opens sign-ups for horse and carriage rides from Trail Light Farms, sponsored by the Wadsworth Eagles and the Wadsworth Blue Tip Festival. Sign-ups start at 5:30 and not before. You pick a time slot, then you're free to shop and eat until your ride. If you're late for your slot, it may go to someone else.
- 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Little Roaming Railroad runs, sponsored by Thurber's Jewelers, along with Grizzly Pedal Bike rides sponsored by the Medina County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
- 6 p.m. The tree lighting at Gazebo Island, with the Salvation Army and Mayor Laubaugh.
- 6 to 9 p.m. Carriage rides run on the slots booked earlier.
Through the evening, the Tune Mafia Barbershop Quartet will carol, sponsored by Wadsworth American Legion Post 170. Kids can drop letters in the North Pole Mailbox at 97.1 FM Wadsworth Community Radio. Carriage slots usually go fast, and the Chamber listing recommends signing up at or right after 5:30 p.m.
First Fridays come with a warning from the city
The season opens with "Giving Thanks to Our Veterans," the November First Friday, on November 6 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Main Street Wadsworth invites people downtown to visit local businesses and restaurants and enjoy the activities. A Very Merry First Friday follows on December 4 at the same hours, with an invitation to visit downtown businesses and restaurants.
The city's listing for the December event includes a note that details "may be subject to change with the Downtown Infrastructure Project," and it sends readers to Main Street Wadsworth's Facebook page for updates. Construction won't begin before December 4, but the city is already flagging that downtown events will have to adjust to it. Main Street's Facebook page is the best place to check before you head downtown.
Shop Small Saturday and the shops on these blocks
On Saturday, November 28, Main Street Wadsworth's Shop Small Saturday runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can start at any of 10 participating shops, pick up a shop-hop card and get it stamped as you go.
Many of the stops at these events sit right on the streets in the project area. Main Street Wadsworth's shopping and dining directories and the Chamber's member listings include these businesses:
- High Street: Valley Cafe at 101 High St. for breakfast and lunch, The Vue at 102 High St., Opal Dragonfly Boutique at 104 High St., ToastHeads Micro Bakery and David Cordas Watercolor Art at 110 High St., Thurber's Jewelers at 115 High St., Sub Station at 116 High St., and Ann's Pastry Shop at 121 High St.
- Main Street: Creatively Tagged Boutique at 122 Main St., Barlett-Cook Flower Shoppe at 125 Main St., Wadsworth Brewing Company at 126 Main St., Book Shelf at 130 Main St., Quaint and Just Eat The Cookie at 138 Main St., Alexandris at 146 Main St., and Kathryn's Craft Closet at 185 Main St.
- College Street: Amedeo's Florist at 115 College St., Sonnets Coffee & Whiskey Bar at 117 College St., Wadsworth Music at 133 College St., and The Fabric Peddler at 139 College St.
- Broad Street: Grizzly Arcade at 129 Broad St., which the Medina County visitors bureau says includes an ice cream shop, and Pizzazios at 157 Broad St.
College Street also has a September newcomer on the Chamber's member list. The Good Barber Shop at 111 College St. joined in September 2026. These are the storefronts behind the sidewalks the city plans to widen, plant with street trees and relight. The Gazette's September report says keeping downtown open during construction is one of the reasons the work is complex.
LightFest at Memorial Park
One holiday event takes place away from the downtown blocks. The Chamber's third annual Memorial LightFest turns Memorial Park into a drive-through display of Christmas trees. Each sponsor gets a fresh-cut Fraser fir to decorate and a sign next to the tree. Sponsors decorate during the week of November 30. The launch is December 5 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Memorial Park Pavilion, and the drive-through stays open from December 5 through January 1.
The city's downtown plans name East Park and the gazebo, not Memorial Park. That makes LightFest the one holiday event this season whose setting the project doesn't touch. If out-of-town family visits after the downtown events end, a drive through the park works any evening through New Year's Day.
What happens after November 17
When bids close on November 17, the city expects to choose a contractor and construction manager later in November. In September, officials said they would review bids and take the results to City Council, and that another decision would be needed if bids came in over budget. The current engineers' estimate for construction and administration is $13.2 million. Once a contractor is chosen, the city will release the phasing schedule. That schedule will show which blocks close first and when.
The city has said it has no plans to drop the project, because the aging utilities have to be replaced either way. The finished project is supposed to improve accessibility and public spaces while keeping the character of the historic business district. Until then, the November 20 tree lighting at Gazebo Island will take place on the downtown streets as they are today.
We'll keep an eye on the contractor decision and phasing schedule this winter. If you want to know how the downtown project could affect a home you're thinking of buying or selling in Wadsworth, The Barbara Wilson Team is glad to talk it through. Contact Us anytime, and we may see you at Gazebo Island on November 20.
