Andrews – Mark your calendars for the biggest and best Christmas on Main Street holiday event to date. This year’s Christmas on Main Street downtown will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19.
This all day family fun event will have 185 vendor booths beating last year’s record of 120 vendor booths. There will also be lots of different activities for children and adults as well as various entertainment throughout the day.
Event planners are expecting about 5,000 local and visiting consumers to come out for this holiday event extravaganza.
The record number of vendors will be displaying everything from quilting, jewelry, wood crafts, soaps, clothing, Christmas wreath necklaces, Steampunk-like hats as well as hand-painted winter gloves, ornaments, ceramic trees and everything else from A-Z. There are simply too many items to list everything.
“This will be bigger than the John C. Campbell Folk School event. There will be parking everywhere, so come early,” organizer Bill Anderson said.
There will be food, drinks, treats and live music all day. Plus, look for Victorian Carolers, a flash mob, a train made out of hay, a kids’ area with a bounce house and other activities.
Get your picture taken with Santa, or take your own in the festive photo booth. Other happenings will include a car show, Christmas tree courtyard raffle and sale, as well as a young entrepreneurs area so elementary, junior and high school students can sell things that they’re making. Local businesses and restaurants will also be open.
Topping things off with be the town’s Christmas tree-lighting ceremony at 5 p.m.
“Last year was so popular because the weather’s been great, and now with COVID behind us and Christmas only five weeks away, Christmas on Main is a perfect time to come out and shop,” Anderson said.
Due to the larger number of vendor booths and consumers expected to come out, the event has been expanded beyond Main Street to include Locust and Chestnut streets.
It started nine years ago, when a few business owners began reminiscing about the Christmas spirit of downtown Andrews in the 1970s, when businesses remained open for a week until 9 p.m. for working folks. They desired to re-create the festive atmosphere of Christmas lights, decorations and community camaraderie with a nostalgic feel.