VALDOSTA —
There won’t be any arts and crafts vendors out on the storefronts this year, but the Downtown Holiday Open House and Festival still promises a holiday experience for the whole family.
Valdosta Main Street will continue its tradition of Christmas fun to officially open the holiday season Saturday, with shopping and photo opportunities throughout the day.
The events start at Bas Bleu for Breakfast with Santa. The restaurant will host a pancake breakfast for children and families beginning with the first round of seating at 8:30 a.m. Additional seating is available at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. time slots. Tickets are $5 for children and $10 for adults. Residents can call Bleu Cafe at (229) 244-2248 to make reservations, but walk-ins are welcome.
Visits with Santa will begin on the Lowndes County Courthouse lawn at 11 a.m., where children can share their Christmas wishes with the jolly old elf and have their picture taken. Santa will be available throughout the day.
The First United Methodist Church on the corner of Valley Street and Patterson Street, will hold their Camellia show, put on by the Valdosta Camellia and Garden Club, from 1 to 6 p.m. Judging will occur in the morning, but the public is welcome to view the entrants and winners throughout the afternoon.
At the First Presbyterian Church on the corner of Patterson and Magnolia streets, the Bazaar and Bake Sale will offer crafts, cakes and baked goods from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The baked goods are prepared by church affiliates. The historic Converse Dalton Ferrell House, the headquarters of the Junior Service League and typically closed to the public, will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Other downtown businesses will open their doors to the public as well throughout the day, offering Christmas shopping opportunities unique to Valdosta.
The Dosta Theater will hold a special matinee performance of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” at 2:30 p.m. The WinterFest 5K run to benefit the Toys for Tots program will start at 4 p.m. Entry for runners on race day is $25, and registration begins at 3 p.m. The race will proceed along the parade route.
The events downtown will end with the annual Christmas parade beginning at 5 p.m. The parade, featuring about 100 floats, will begin at Woodrow Wilson Drive and proceed south along Patterson Street until it reaches Bank of America.
First, second and third-place winning floats will be announced at the Dec. 13 City Council meeting. Proceeds from the float entry fees go to charity.
Local News
Related Photos
-
There won’t be any arts and crafts vendors out on the storefronts this year, but the Downtown Holiday Open House and Festival still promises a holiday experience for the whole family.
Discussion
Holiday Open House offers winter fun
Downtown ready for festival, parade
- Local News
-
-
Easter Seals benefit Thursday
Easter Seals Southern Georgia will be hosting “Sweet Charity: Desserts for a Cause” Thursday at Mathis Auditorium. The event will be from 7 to 9 p.m. and will include several local restaurants serving dessert as well as a silent auction.
-
Dollar General robbed at gunpoint
A customer and two employees were unharmed during a Sunday evening robbery as two masked men demanded cash from registers and the business’ safe as the Dollar General on Bemiss Road prepared to close at around 11:30 p.m., according to reports from the Valdosta Police Department.
-
Overpass work causes detours
All vehicles which are not making a delivery in the immediate vicinity of the new overpass will have to find alternate routes immediately.
-
Crossing guard keeping kids safe
Meet Merita Williams, crossing guard.
-
Juneteenth’s coming
Held in just as high a regard as the celebration of our country’s independence to many, the county’s annual Juneteenth dinner returns this Tuesday at 7 p.m. for its 21st year and will offer citizens of all races with a central point to celebrate human rights.
-
A soldier called preacher
In Vietnam, Wesley Harrell spread the Lord’s word among his fellow soldiers. He spoke of God often though few seemed to listen until they encountered war’s sudden death.
-
History on the move
In the right hands, a divided house can again mount a sound foundation and settle into a new era, as proved on Saturday when the 100 Black Men of Valdosta unveiled a transplanted house that’ll likely serve as their headquarters at its Martin Luther King Jr. Drive location.
-
Beach Safety: Keeping safe with fun in the sun
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second story in a weekly series on summer safety.
-
Ribbon cutting held for Joan Bailey Center
The Community Depot has opened the doors of its newest non-profit retail center, which was dedicated Friday to and named in honor of former Valdosta State University First Lady Joan Bailey.
-
Kendrick Johnson’s body exhumed
The family of a deceased Lowndes High School student had his body exhumed Friday morning from Sunset Hills Cemetery as relatives continue the process of acquiring a second autopsy.
- More Local News Headlines
-
