Chelsea L. McGowan
cmcgowan@weatherforddemocrat.com
From 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, downtown Weatherford will be all a-jingle with the beginnings of holiday cheer as the Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual Christmas on the Square event.
From live entertainment, to snacks, to bargains, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.
“This is just a chance for the merchants of Weatherford to give back to the community,” said Mandy Allison, the chamber’s event coordinator. “People open up their stores downtown, offer goodies and discounts, and it kind of kicks off the holiday shopping season in Weatherford.”
Especially in light of a teetering economy, the chamber wants to encourage residents to shop local this holiday season, and hopes the Christmas on the Square event will help highlight all the city has to offer to shoppers.
“Shopping local helps our merchants, which helps our economy, and ultimately helps our whole community,” Allison said. “Christmas on the Square is a great way to get people downtown and encourage them to shop with the merchants they’ll see while they’re there.”
Organizers hope Weatherford residents will bring the whole family, and are promoting many different activities being planned just for the littlest shoppers.
“We’ll have inflatables set up, and there will be a train ride and carriage ride free for kids,” Allison said. “Different booths will be set up, many with activities especially for kids like cookie decorating. Kids will also be able to get their picture taken with Santa.”
According to Allison, last year’s event was the first time Christmas on the Square was held on a Saturday evening, and the public responded to that scheduling positively.
“It’s been growing over the years, and last year we had about 7,000 people,” she said. “We’re expecting a really good turnout again this year.”
During the event, vendors will be set up in each quadrant of the square, offering a variety of holiday and gift items. Businesses are promising to be lit and decorated in full celebration of the season, and many will be offering hot chocolate, coffee, cider and other free goodies. Others will be selling “fair food” like kettle corn, sausage on a stick and hamburgers.
Also, three stages with a variety of live entertainment will be set up throughout the downtown area to provide a backdrop for the event.
According to a press release, the title sponsor for this year’s event is Maverick All-Star Tumblers and Gymnastics. Other sponsors include Downtown Cafe, Fire Oak Grill, First National Bank, IESI, Plains Capital Bank and Spoiled Pink.
Local News
December 5, 2008
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