Saks Fifth Avenue will not hold its annual dazzling holiday light show at its flagship store in Midtown Manhattan.
Despite celebrating the store’s 100th anniversary this year, Saks decided to dump the tradition in favor of a more low-key setup.
“For many years, the holidays at Saks Fifth Avenue included a light show at our flagship store, and for some time we have contemplated changing our approach,” a Saks spokesperson told the Daily News on Tuesday. “We are celebrating the season by honoring the architectural significance of this iconic building, elegantly illuminating the facade and framing the holiday windows.”
Saks’ traditional holiday windows, which show festive, fashionable displays inside the store between 49th and 50th Sts., will return as usual in late November, according to the company. But the light show that usually heralds the opening of the windows will not occur.
Even though the light show itself has been called off, the building will still be illuminated in festive lights, and holiday jingles will play throughout the season, Saks said in a statement.
“Throughout the holiday season, we look forward to captivating customers’ imaginations and evoking feelings of joy, curiosity and delight through compelling content and memorable experiences across Saks Fifth Avenue,” chief marketing officer Emily Essner said in a mid-October press release.
The holiday windows will display “pieces from the top names in luxury set against colorful snowflake fragments, dichroic vinyl and silver harlequin flooring,” according to Saks.
The light show had been a tradition for New Yorkers and tourists alike, even drawing celebrities to open the event. Last year, Jennifer Lawrence laughed off a wardrobe malfunction to introduce the Dior-produced show. One year earlier, Elton John performed “Your Song” on Fifth Ave. to kick off that season’s display.
Saks’ flagship store is located near the center of Christmas celebrations in New York, just one block east of Rockefeller Center and its towering Christmas tree. This year’s tree arrived at Rockefeller Center on Saturday, two days after it was cut down in West Stockbridge, Mass.