First annual Christmas event to attract business downtown
Scavenger hunt, warming centers and Santa to fill downtown stores in Saturday's community festival
Cody Ewers
Issue date: 12/4/08 Section: News
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Kathy Newell, owner of the Blossom Shop and one of the event organizers, said she hopes its effects will last after the weekend comes and goes.
"We're trying to get people downtown," Newell said. "Hopefully they'll see what's available they might not have previously known."
Gold Star Taxes will serve as a warming station, offering free hot cocoa, coffee, cookies and a Santa Claus impersonator from 12 to 2 p.m.
WCSR Radio will broadcast live from the Gold Star building in the morning.
The Dawn Theater (formerly the Roxy) will host its own warming station, where it will show classic Christmas movies throughout the day.
The scavenger hunt, beginning at 10 a.m., will send community members aged 21 and over in search of each participating business' golden sleigh.
After finishing the hunt, completed maps will be entered into a raffle at Gold Star Taxes, and at 3 p.m., 40 winners will be drawn for prizes ranging from gift certificates to a $470 diamond necklace.
Senior Chris Scripter and a band of Mu Alphas will roam the streets, crooning holiday tunes, Newell said.
David Kamen, owner of David's Dolce Vita's tobacconist and wine galleria, said local merchants tried to host a similar event last year, but the plans never materialized. He expects this year's event to fare better, due to better organization and more excitement among merchants.
"It seems as people come down here and see that there's more available, things will begin to pick up," he said. "We tried to do something like this last year, but with the city behind us this year it should be a successful event."
Christine Bowman, Hillsdale's economic director, said it was mostly the merchants who banded together to put it all together.
"I was just there to help them facilitate things and connect the dots," Bowman said. "After we got Santa downtown people just started pitching in to make it happen."
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