Broken Christmas decorations lie on Festival Plaza in Auburn on Thursday after being blown down by high wind Wednesday night. A storm forecast for Saturday prompted officials in Lewiston and Auburn to postpone tree-lighting ceremonies. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Officials in Lewiston and Auburn have postponed holiday celebrations planned for Saturday because of a storm forecast to hit Maine.

Auburn will move its celebration to Thursday, Dec. 8; Lewiston will move its celebration to Sunday, Dec. 4.

Auburn officials announced Thursday morning that Wednesday’s wind and rainstorm damaged decorations in Festival Plaza. The annual tree lighting, an appearance by Santa and the opening of a new holiday shopping village were moved to Thursday.

The shopping village hours will run from 4 to 8 p.m. Santa will arrive at 6 p.m., escorted by police, fire and public works personnel. The Auburn Business Association will provide free hot chocolate, doughnuts and mittens and gloves.

Around noon Thursday, Lewiston officials announced they are pushing the city’s holiday festival forward one day to Sunday. Events at Dufresne Plaza at 72 Lisbon St. will go from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and include music, food trucks, skating, a craft fair, ice carving, wagon rides, a giant snow globe, Santa, and a tree lighting at 4:30 p.m.

Pieces of Christmas decorations are strewn Thursday morning across Festival Place in Auburn after strong wind blew through parts of Maine on Wednesday. The damage prompted city officials to move Saturday’s annual Christmas tree lighting to Thursday. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal