By Hailey Blevins
The Christmas season is upon us. Though winter has not officially started yet, it’s beginning to feel and look a lot like Christmas as it has snowed several times now and Christmas decorations are going up. As December begins this weekend, we get even closer to Christmas and the festivities that come along with it. The Town of Boone already has tons of activities planned to kick off the Christmas season next Friday, December 7.
Festival First Friday
The start of the Christmas events in Boone takes place on the first Friday of December. Several downtown streets will be taken over by Christmas spirit for Festive First Friday. King Street will be filled with cloggers, dancers and stationary and roaming carolers and acapella groups.
You can find the Grinch at the Library, hopefully spreading holiday cheer and not extinguishing it. Santa will be at Mast General to talk to anyone ready to give their christmas list while Mrs. Claus will be at the Post Office to help those who haven’t written their letters to Santa yet.
Over on Howard Street, a marshmallow snowball fight is scheduled to take place. Or you can eat your sweets instead at the courtyard at Footsloggers and enjoy s’mores, hot chocolate, roasted chestnuts and food on the go. Carriage rides will also take place on Howard Street.
The Jones House will also host their annual Christmas Tree lighting. The events begin at 5:45 p.m. with the Watauga High School Honors Choir and the Women’s Chamber perform a medley of Holiday Music on the Jones House porch. Then Mayor Rennie Brantz and Town Council members will light the Jones House Christmas Tree at 6:30 p.m. The tree lighting takes place with the help of the Appalachian State Sustainable Energy Society.
Following this, Split Rail Records will host the Christhanakwanzika singer-songwriter showcase in the Mazie Jones Gallery, featuring Jack Marion, Mairead Wyatt, Logan Hefner, and the High Country Jazz Collective.
Finally, the annual Boone Christmas Parade begins on Saturday at 11 a.m., starting at the Poplar Grove Extension and ending at Appalachian State University’s Legends parking lot. After the parade, free cookies and refreshments will be provided by the Town of Boone at the Jones House, where Santa will make another appearance from 12-4 p.m. To participate in the parade with your own float or entry, please fill out the parade registration form located online at joneshouse.org/holidays/ as spots are filling up.
Pictures from the 2017 Christmas Parade
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