Planning is continuing for the annual Christmas on Market celebration Nov. 25. We encourage you to mark the date on your calendar and plan to shop local that weekend as many of our hometown businesses will be offering great opportunities for holiday gifts. The theme this year is: Christmas on Market 2017: “Treasured Memories”.
In addition to shopping, activities will be held throughout the day including breakfast, lunch, visits with Santa, a 5K run, chili cook-off & feed, gingerbread house building, craft show, raffle, live Nativity, emergency services showcase, fire truck rides, ping pong drop, live reindeer, and the traditional lighted Christmas parade. If you own a business or are a part of the community, this is a great time for you to be a part of a fun community event. Let’s get together and make this great. There have been a few changes or additions to the event this year. Be sure to watch for the posters that will be in the stores & also handouts for you to take home (available first part of November). Some of the main changes is that the CRAFT SHOW will be downtown this year at the COF building which is the old Dollar General Store & the north end of the Depot. The RAFFLE will take place earlier in the day, starting at 1:45 and located on 6th street between Main and Market streets. This year, it will be required that Winners MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN. This year, the raffle is including some very nice retreat packages, so look in the participating stores for the raffle can by the register & buy your tickets. An addition to the event this year will include a live reindeer that will be here for the day & will be available between 3:00-5:00 at the Santa Fe Park. Be sure to come by and take a look at a live reindeer and take some pictures. The reindeer will be pulling a sleigh with Santa & his elf in the parade.
Diane Michael, Parade Chairman, is working diligently to have a parade to remember. All individuals and groups are welcome to participate including individual floats, decorated golf carts, ATV’s (age 17 or older required for golf carts & ATV’s), marching bands, emergency service vehicles, cars, trucks, tractors. There will be prize money for float entries, decorated golf carts and ATV’s. Prize money for float entries will be 1st-$125; 2nd-$100; 3rd-$75; 4th-$50. Prize money for golf carts/ATV’s will be 1st-$30; 2nd-$20; 3rd-$10. The parade starts at 6:00 pm, judging for floats, golf carts & ATV’s is at 5:00 pm, lining up at the west end of Market street. For registration, contact Diane at 785-608-2277, 510 Holiday, m.diane27@yahoo.com. Don’t forget, the theme this year is “Treasured Memories”.