CAMBRIDGE, Md. - The holiday spirit is breathing new life into downtown Cambridge. You can see it in the lamppost wreaths to the iconic Crab Basket Christmas Tree - Cambridge is opening up to all the holiday cheer. That includes Rock Lobstah business owner Patrick Fanning, who opened his new Soup For You Kitchen restaurant to boost holiday sales.
"The December season is very big for us," Fanning said. "It's always a nice month for all the restaurants in Cambridge."
Like Fanning, business owners are wasting no time welcoming holiday traffic into their doors. Downtown Cambridge Director Katie Clendaniel says plenty of businesses are filling up old buildings and eliminating blight.
"People are definitely paying attention now," Clendaniel said. "There are critical projects that will help extend the revitalization that we've already seen in other parts of downtown, so now we're just moving progress down the street and connecting the dots."
Clendaniel adds more than $175,000 in grants are now helping revamp downtown Cambridge along with another $20,000 in available tax credits that will attract potential donors.
An official tree lighting ceremony for the Crab Basket Christmas Tree as well as a parade are set to take place on Saturday December 1. Later in the month, horse-drawn carriages and a Santa Trail will also happen, bringing in much-needed holiday traffic to the area.
