W’boro to kick off holidays with Dec. 5 event

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas on downtown Main Street in Whitesboro and rightfully so.

Keep Whitesboro Beautiful has been hard at work preparing for next week’s “Hot Cocoa Christmas,” the annual community-wide holiday event in downtown Whitesboro to be held Friday, Dec. 5 from 5-8 p.m. 

The median has been decorated with holiday garland, candy canes, snowmen and oversized ornaments.

The City of Whitesboro has begun preparing the downtown Christmas tree, and local businesses are rolling out their holiday decor to bring some festive cheer to town.

The downtown Christmas event is a beloved tradition that truly kicks-off the holidays for many area families. Plans are underway to make this event bigger and better than ever before.

The event is brought to you by Keep Whitesboro Beautiful, the City of Whitesboro, Holiday Chevrolet and local patrons of Whitesboro.

At 5 p.m., Christmas music will be played downtown and at 5:30 p.m., free horse-drawn carriage rides will begin. 

At 6 p.m. attendees will enjoy the lighting of the downtown Christmas tree, whose lights are synchronized with music. This is followed by a Christmas parade at 6:30.

Immediately after the parade, Santa Claus will take time to visit with area children and hear all about their holiday wishes. Be sure to bring your cameras for some precious photo opportunities.

Meanwhile, a live nativity scene will take place at the corner of Center and Main Streets.

Throughout the evening, downtown stores will be open late to welcome holiday shoppers and vendors will be giving out treats like hot chocolate, cookies and popcorn. Everyone in attendance gets a ticket for door prize give-aways. 

At 7:30 p.m., a massive free gift drawing will take place inside Cook’s Main Stage (located behind Cook’s Main Street Mercantile). Guests can win items ranging from new toys and sports equipment to home décor.

There’s nothing quite like the holidays in a small town, so be sure to mark your calendar and join in the fun.