JEFFERSON CITY ANNOUNCES NEW CHRISTMAS EVENTS FOR 2012

It’s that time of year when our thoughts turn to the sights and sounds of the Christmas season and the events that help to make it such a special time of the year. While you can still expect the annual Christmas parade in Jefferson City that is held the first Saturday in December, this year the city has announced that it will work to expand its holiday offerings with a larger Christmas parade and two additional holiday events to create a week-long celebration for the region. All of the events are free and open to the public.

The calendar of festivities will kick off on Saturday December 1st with a special Christmas tree lighting ceremony in the Historic Mossy Creek District. This event will take place from 4pm through 7pm on Main Street and will highlight the lighting of a 20 foot Christmas tree in the center of the downtown as well as food, entertainment and carriage rides through the city. There is also a special presentation of the animated film “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer,” that will be shown outdoors on a large format screen for attendees to enjoy this age old classic. Local downtown businesses and residents are encouraged to decorate and help create a magical atmosphere for the celebration. Recognition will be given for those that put on the best Christmas display.

The second event will be a storytelling evening at 5:30pm on December 6th that will feature the reading of the first Christmas to be presented by the Jefferson City Ministerial Alliance. This will be a great opportunity for visitors to share in a public reading of the Nativity story and create a new tradition with the community. Caroling and other Christmas activities are also planned for the night.

The events will conclude with the Annual Jefferson City Christmas Parade on December 8th at 2:00pm that will start and end in the Historic Mossy Creek District with a special visit from Jolly old Saint Nick and his crew. While the parade is a long-standing, candy-filled tradition for the area, this year’s parade will feature an award ceremony for the best floats and a time for attendees to visit with Santa Claus on Main Street following the parade. There will also be vendors on hand to create a festival atmosphere around the parade selling specialty coffees and hot cocoa and other goodies.

These events are presented in a collaboration of Jefferson City and the Historic Mossy Creek District and will work to bring new life to the downtown during the Christmas season. Jefferson City hopes to continue to expand and develop these events in future years to bring in holiday visitors to the the downtown and the city as they continue to work on a plan to revitalize the aging district. For more information or to get involved please contact the city at 865.475.9071 or visit the organizational website at OldMossyCreek.com.