The plug has been pulled on Light Up Night for downtown Sharon.

In previous years, Sharon council earmarked $10,000 for what had become an annual event held the Thursday before Thanksgiving. But faced with a budgetary shortfall, council last year axed funding for what would have been the eighth annual event.

City funds were used to buy the white Christmas lights strung on trees and buildings, the fireworks and other expenses for the holiday celebration. Karen Winner-Hale, chief executive officer of Winner International Corp. in downtown Sharon, had helped to organize previous events, which included parades, speakers, Christmas carols, vendors and other participants.

"I don't mind doing it,'' Mrs. Winner-Hale said. "I love to see how downtown looks at night. I think people genuinely enjoy Light Up Night.''

Without the city funds though, this year's holiday kickoff proved to be impossible, she said.

But, she said, she's talking with city officials to see if enough funding can be scared up at least to buy the lights. While most of the light strands and thousands of lights remain from past years, it's possible hundreds of burned-out bulbs would need to be replaced.

"If anything else, I hope we get lights,'' she said. "I would hate to see the city dark at Christmastime.''

Sharon Mayor David O. Ryan said city officials will look into finding money to buy the bulbs if funds are available. Ultimately council will have to pass a resolution to donate the money, since it is not allocated in the 2003 budget, he said.

Should funds become available for the lights, Mrs. Winner-Hale said she would seek volunteers to help string them and replace the burned-out bulbs.

The Shenango Valley Chamber of Commerce would do what it could to help the event, said David Grande, the chamber's president.

"But it's not feasible for us to do all the funding for it,'' Grande said.

Downtown merchants must be a factor in the event, he said, adding in the past only a handful have actively helped.

"At this point, Sharon has an event without a country,'' Grande said. "There needs to be merchants or groups of merchants who say we need to do this. I think the merchants have to be cognizant it's partially their responsibility. We have to be met halfway with merchants who want to support the event.''