LPD Officer Eric Mericle, Safety City Program Coordinator, said, “The earliest I’ve ever seen anybody line up was, like, an hour and a half to two hours prior, but it’s, you know, come out. You know, there’s going to be a little bit of a line, but there’s so many people passing out various different things, not only just candy, they may have free gift cards to places. So it’s just going to be a fun, fun time.”

It may be hot outside, but the Christmas spirit was alive and well Thursday in downtown Lima. The Meeting Place on Market hosted its annual “Christmas in July” event, featuring festive music, holiday-themed beverages and sweet treats.