GLADSTONE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Christmas is officially coming to Gladstone—and not just because of Monday’s snowfall.
The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is preparing for the City’s Old-Fashioned Christmas on Friday, November 29. The evening begins at 5:30 with a tree lighting across from City Hall.
“After that, the whole downtown’s going to come alive for an opportunity to go inside different businesses, do crafts,” said DDA Director Patricia West. “There will be lots of cookies and hot chocolate and lots of things for families to come down and enjoy together.”
More than 20 downtown shops and organizations will host activities like cookie decorating, ornament painting, and wagon rides. While it’s always an evening of fun for the public, West says Old-Fashioned Christmas also provides a boost in traffic for local businesses
“It gives them an opportunity to kick off some of their Black Friday sales and engage with the community, allowing people to stop in if they haven’t been in in a while or explore some new businesses downtown as well,” she said.
The tree at the heart of the Old-Fashioned Christmas celebration is extra special this year, thanks to a community-wide effort.
“We were having a really difficult time finding a Christmas tree,” West explained. “A few years ago, there was a disease that had spread through a lot of the local trees. This year, we actually have a crowd-sourced Christmas tree. We put it up on our Facebook page; we received a ton of phone calls. We actually have a waiting list now for coming years as well, so we’re really excited that the community was able to come together to help us celebrate.”
Old-Fashioned Christmas concludes at 8 p.m., but that isn’t the end of Gladstone’s festivities. On December 20, the City’s Electric Department and WPPI Energy will host a Holiday Home Decorating Contest.
“We are going to be having prizes for the top three houses that participate,” said West. “To qualify, you just have to be a city resident or on City of Gladstone electric.”
With every corner of the city helping to make the holidays merry and bright, West says it’s no wonder Christmas is such a special time of year in Gladstone.
“So many people have so many nostalgic memories of growing up in Gladstone, and we have so many visitors that come to town for Thanksgiving,” she said. “The ability to have our Old-Fashioned Christmas really brings that childhood magic back to life, and it’s really fun for all of the people that left Gladstone to come home and have that opportunity to celebrate as a family again.”
For a full list of Old-Fashioned Christmas activities and participating organizations, click here.
To register for the Holiday Home Decorating contest, visit gladstonemi.gov. Registration is due by December 15, and prizes range from $100 to $750.
