By By MIKE VOSS
mike@wdnweb.com
Contributing Editor
From 10 a.m. through at least 8 p.m. Saturday, there will be a definite Christmas atmosphere in downtown Washington.
The Hometown Holidays &Christmas Flotilla events kick off at 9 a.m. with the Beaufort County Arts Council’s annual Holiday Arts &Craft Show at the Washington Civic Center. The show ends at 5 p.m. that day.
Washington’s Christmas parade, organized by the Washington Kiwanians, begins making its way along Main Street at 10 a.m.
“The parade is shaping up good. … We’ve got a lot of inquiries. We’ve had a lot of interest in the parade this year,” said Bobby Roberson, one of the Kiwanians organizing the parade, during a brief interview Monday. “We’re excited about it.”
Beth Byrd, director of the Washington Harbor District Alliance, was out Monday morning checking on the installation of new LED warm white lights on holly trees in downtown Washington.
Byrd said the events scheduled for Saturday should help enhance the festive atmosphere of the Christmas season. She anticipates the parade drawing a big crowd, with many in that crowd staying downtown for the variety of events and activities.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., downtown merchants will hold open house, with many providing refreshments to patrons. With each purchase made at participating merchants, a customer may submit an entry to win a basket of goodies.
From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Turnage Theater will have several screenings of the 1935 film “Scrooge,” the Dickens’ story known as “A Christmas Carol.” The film stars Seymour Hicks. Tickets are $5 a person. For more information about “Scrooge” and other Movies for the Holidays slated for Dec. 10-11 and Dec. 18, call the Turnage Theater box office at 252-975-1191.
Starting at 10 a.m. is the Turnage Theaters Foundation’s A Christmas Tour of Homes. Ticket-takers will be able to view 12 homes — decorated for the Christmas season — that are within walking distance of the Turnage Theater. Included in the ticket price of $25 (per person) is a box lunch. For more information, call the Turnage Theater box office at 252-975-1191.
A Dickens’ Style Christmas walking tours will be presented by I Can’t Believe It’s a Book Store in downtown Washington during the day. For more information about the tours, including cost, call the bookstore at 252-946-0855.
For those who may want to get around downtown Washington without walking too much, horse-drawn carriage rides are scheduled for Saturday. For more information about the carriage rides, including cost, call the Washington Harbor District Alliance at 252-946-3969.
At 5 p.m., Lorenzo Wertz and friends provide musical entertainment on the Washington waterfront as a prelude to the Christmas Flotilla, which begins at 6 p.m.
For the fourth consecutive year, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve has partnered with local organizations such as the Washington Harbor District Alliance and the Washington-Beaufort County Board of Realtors to gather toys for needy, local children.
The local Toys for Tots campaign is part of the annual Christmas Flotilla. Marines will be at the waterfront at Stewart Parkway beginning at 4:30 p.m. to collect toys from those attending the flotilla.
Children, perhaps some adults, too, may have photographs of themselves and Santa Claus from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. next to Stewart’s Jewelry Store on Market Street. The fees charged for the photographs will be donated to Toys for Tots.
Michael Morgan and friends, Market Street Brass and the Chancel Choir of Washington’s First Presbyterian Church are slated to perform in Holy Light, a HeART of the City Concert presented by the Beaufort County Arts Council. The concert begins at 7 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church on Gladden Street.