Downtown Gears Up For The Holidays

Downtown Trenton will be getting into the holiday spirit on Friday night during the annual “Downtown Christmas” celebration.
The Trenton Downtown Improvement Association and Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce are teaming up to sponsor this year’s event, which includes a variety of activities for all ages. The highlight of the evening will be the lighting of the mayor’s Christmas tree at Sesquicentennial Park, a tradition that will include assistance by a local youth whose name will be drawn from entries being made at several downtown businesses. Music, a cookie walk, dancing, carriage rides and a visit from Santa will also take place during the evening.
Events kick off at 4:30 p.m. with a soup supper sponsored by the North Grand River Baptist Association. The eat-what-you-want, pay-what-you-want meal will include taco and turkey vegetable soups along with ham and beans. Persons planning to attend are asked to enter through the front door or from the ramp to the building. The supper continues through 7 p.m.
Several businesses in the downtown area are planning to extend their business hours during the holiday celebration.
The mayor’s Christmas tree lighting is set for a 5:30 p.m. start with Mayor Dr. Nick McHargue and an area youth turning on the holiday lights in the park. Rev. Ron Ratliff will give a Christmas prayer as well as read a poem as part of the program, which will also include Christmas music.
Youth ages three to nine are eligible to enter their names in a drawing to assist the mayor with the Christmas tree lighting. Entries will be taken until Wednesday afternoon, when the drawing of the winner will take place. Entries can be made during business hours at The Barn, the North Grand River Baptist Association, Citizens Bank and Trust, Main Street Mall, Howard’s Department Store, Lucky Dog Embroidery, Trenton Hardware, North Central Missouri College, Tim’s Barber Shop, Grand River Press and KTTN.
Santa Claus will make his arrival in the downtown area by fire truck around 5:45 p.m., ending up at the Grundy County Museum. There he will greet children, who can have their photos taken with him. Other activities planned at the museum include a Christmas train display, coloring and Christmas stories.
Dancers from L&P Dance Studio will be performing inside the Weldon Building at the corner of 10th and Main streets, beginning at 5:45 p.m. Audiences will be able to watch the dancing from just outside through the large windows on the building.
The Hodge Presbyterian Church will have its cookie walk in the former Smith’s Clothing Building on Main Street. Persons will be able to buy holiday sweets prepared by church members. The cookie walk will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Also scheduled from 5:30 to 7 is a program of live music and a “live” Elf on the Shelf at the Barn as well as horse-drawn carriage rides, provided by David Kurtz. The Cookseys will have kettle corn near Five Points and other refreshments will also be offered at various locations. Chumbley’s will be sponsoring an ugliest, funniest and prettiest Christmas sweater contest along with karaoke during the evening as well.