The Christmas season will be ushered in this weekend in Highland County when the Hillsboro Uptown Business Association hosts an Uptown Christmas event on Friday followed by the Greenfield Eagles Christmas Parade on Saturday.
The HUBA Uptown Christmas will run from 5-8 p.m. and will feature a tree lighting, horse-drawn wagon rides, caroling, a bell choir, a Santa’s Workshop, businesses with Christmas themed activities and more. All the activities are free, according to Shauna Davidson, chairperson of the HUBA Uptown Christmas.
The horse-drawn wagon rides will run from 5-8 p.m. and will begin and end behind the Highland County Courthouse. Around that same time members of the Hillsboro High School Symphonic Choir will be walking the uptown area singing Christmas carols.
The tree lighting will take place at 6 p.m. on the courthouse lawn and is being organized by the Hillsboro student council. This will be the second year for the tree lighting that was started by student council members who were inspired by holiday movies.
The Hillsboro First United Methodist Church Bell Choir will perform at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room located at 110 S. High St.
Santa’s Workshop will also be set up in the Community Room and the first 150 kids will receive a small gift. All kids can visit and have their photo taken with Santa Claus, an elf will be on hand to read Christmas stories, and Frosty the Snowman will make an appearance.
Several of the business will host special events. At Appearances Salon kids can write letters to Santa Claus. The Olde Cellar will offer free hot chocolate along with various flavors of chocolate dipped spoons to stir the hot chocolate. Kids will be able to make reindeer food at Cundiff’s Flowers and at Twenty Four Exchange they’ll be able to create reindeer brownies.
Other businesses will be open and offering special deals, Davidson said.
“We just want to give back to the community and the kids,” Davidson said.
The 36th annual Greenfield Eagles Christmas Parade will start at 6 p.m. Saturday. This year’s theme is Farmtown Christmas.
Parade lineup begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Greenfield Research parking lot. Judging will begin at 5:30 p.m. The parade is open to anyone and there is no fee to enter.
The parade will depart the Research parking lot, come down Seventh Street to Jefferson Street, then turn left and follow Jefferson Street to Washington Street, where it will turn left and end at the firehouse.
Santa and Mrs. Claus will be on the last float in the parade and they will stop at the firehouse where kids will be able to visit with them and be treated to hot chocolate, cookies and candy.
The HUBA Christmas Parade will be held Saturday, Dec. 9 and will start at 6 p.m. It will originate from the Highland County Fairgrounds and is expected to arrive in the uptown area around 6:20 p.m.
All parade units should be in the staging area by 4 p.m. to be judged. Driving units should stage at the Highland County Fairgrounds, where the gates will open at 11 a.m. Walking and marching units should be at the lower parking lot on the old high school campus by 5 p.m.
The deadline to register an entry in the parade is Friday, Dec. 1. Forms are available at Appearances Salon, 107 W. Main St., Hillsboro.
At 10 a.m. on the day of the Hillsboro parade HUBA will host an Ugly Christmas Sweater Run/Walk. Visit HUBA’s Facebook page for more information.
Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522 or [email protected].
