Downtown aglow: 'Elvis' gets sparkling yule rockin' 'n' rollin'

Salt Lake City featured a different kind of "king" than the season's traditional Three Wise Men at its annual "Lights On" holiday celebration at the Gallivan Center Friday night.

Elvis, the "king of rock 'n' roll" — a professional Elvis impersonator — was the headline entertainment of the evening, knocking out everything from holiday songs to rock tunes to singalongs.

Downtown Salt Lake is now ablaze with more than a million holiday lights, and blue is clearly the dominant color this year. Besides the oodles of lights on Temple Square, there are more than 19 miles of new electric "Jazz" blue LED (light emitting diode) light strands along city streets, from The Gateway to Temple Square to Gallivan Plaza.

"We're jazzin' up downtown for the holidays," Jason Mathis, executive director of the Downtown Alliance of Salt Lake, said to a crowd of about 400 people just before the holiday lights went on at dusk for the first time this season.

"Partnering with the Utah Jazz for the Jazzin' up the holidays theme, the blue LED lights honor Salt Lake City's NBA team," he said.

"Happy holidays," Salt Lake Mayor Ralph Becker said as the highlight of brief remarks.

"I'm certainly enjoying the festive atmosphere here," said James Mast of Lancaster, Pa., who is visiting family in Salt Lake.

This being his first time in town, he said he had nothing with which to compare this year's lighting display.

"He's doing a great job," he said of the Elvis impersonator, though only a few dozen people sat still for the singer's entire performance.

The One Voice Children's Choir kicked off the night's entertainment with many traditional Christmas songs. Santa Claus was a favorite personality among the many skaters circling the Gallivan Center ice ring.

The Grand America Hotel also held its first "A Grand Holiday Festival" Friday night. Many free events and decorations entertained visitors.

Besides all the downtown lights, there's a new holiday attraction downtown, too — despite all the construction under way at its core — new holiday windows.

The new 222 Main high-rise building has three classic holiday windows illuminated, reminiscent of the classic ZCMI displays of years past.