Free parking downtown

As of Friday, free two-hour holiday parking is available at all downtown municipal parking spaces, including on-street parking, municipal parking lots, the King Street Parking Garage and the Simcoe Street Parking Garage, the city announced Thursday. The free twohour holiday parking program continues until Dec. 31 to encourage people to do their holiday shopping locally and to help raise money to support Kawartha Food Share, according to a release from the city. Parking fees that are voluntarily paid at pay-and-display machines, parking meters or through the HotSpot app during the free two-hour period will be donated to Kawartha Food Share, the central warehouse for 36 meal programs and food banks. The promotion is sponsored by Wolfe Personal Injury Lawyers. The city is asking motorists who need to park for more than two hours to avoid on-street spaces and use the city’s surface lots or parking garages.