Washington to celebrate holidays with festive weekend
Downtown Washington will be the place to be this weekend.
Home for the Holidays in Downtown Washington is planned for Friday and Saturday.
“It will be a two-day celebration filled with festive cheer, local shopping and community spirit,” said Shana Brown, Main Street Manager for the Washington Business District Authority.
This year marks a switch for the city, as holiday events including Small Business Saturday, Light-Up Night, the Holiday Market and Christmas Parade – events once spread over two weekends – will take place during the same one.
“We really just want to expand the event and in order to expand it, we’re pulling all of our resources together,” Brown said earlier this year. “It just made sense instead of stretching everybody so thin and stretching all of our resources thin. I think making it one event is going to have a wider reach and make more of an impact.”
Festivities begin Friday with Light-Up at LeMoyne from 4 to 7 p.m. at the LeMoyne House Gardens. Along with a lighting ceremony, there will be carolers, Santa Claus, a live nativity petting zoo, food vendors and family-friendly activities.
The next day, Small Business Saturday is set for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will provide shoppers the opportunity to peruse downtown shops and boutiques. There will be a maker mart at the Ignite building, 57 E. Chestnut St. Plus, the annual breakfast crawl will be held as well as a live puppet show at noon.
The Holiday Market will be held from 2 to 7 p.m. Saturday at the Main Street Pavilion. Activities include free horse and carriage rides, pictures with Santa, a children’s train and the vintage Christmas tree farm by Godwins at the Shops on Strawberry.
The Historic House Hop from 1 to 4 p.m. will offer an opportunity to explore downtown Washington by trolley shuttle to tour some of the city’s most iconic properties decorated for the holidays. Included on the tour are the Bradford House Museum, Bar Foundation office, Washington & Jefferson admissions office, office of attorney Dennis Makel, the LeMoyne House and the Washington County Courthouse. Maps will be available at the visitor’s center from 12:30 to 1 p.m.
An activity trail, Candy Cane Lane, will be offered from 3 to 6 p.m. and feature games, crafts and holiday surprises at every stop.
There will be 16 decorated trees designed by students from local schools at the Festival of Trees from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Shops on Strawberry Alley. Visitors may bid on their favorite tree as part of a silent auction. Winning bidders will take their tree home. A portion of the proceeds from the auction will go toward supporting local veterans.
Topping off the weekend will be the annual Downtown Washington Christmas Parade at 7 p.m. on Main Street. Santa is expected to make an appearance along with floats, performers and marching bands.
“Home for the Holidays is the perfect way to celebrate the start of the season while supporting our local community,” Brown said. “Bring your friends and family downtown to make memories, shop small and experience the joy of the holidays in Washington.”