UNION — Food, live entertainment, horse-drawn carriage rides and an early visit by Santa Claus will be featured on Main Street in downtown Union during this year’s Christmas Open House.
The event, which will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday on the section of Main Street between Enterprise and Church streets, is an annual early Christmas celebration sponsored by the Union County Chamber of Commerce.
While the chamber is sponsoring the Open House itself, some of its members are sponsoring what Torance Inman, chamber director, calls “a step back in time” for those who attend the event.
“The highlight of downtown celebration will be what we’re calling the ‘Carriage Rides Down Memory Lane,’” Inman said. “It’s a step back in time with an old-fashioned horse-drawn carriage ride down Main Street. The rides are being sponsored by the City of Union, Union County, Lockhart Power, and Haemonetics. Thanks to them, the cost of the rides will be very small.”
Entertainment will also a big part of Christmas Open House with performances by local singers, musicians and dancers.
“We’re going to have a lot of local artists performing throughout Main Street,” Inman said. “We’ll have Amy House and Mark Ochiltree at Graham Cash, Melody Hope Farr at Keepsake Jewelers, and The Childers at Arthur State Bank. The Union County Schools Orchestra will be at the Union County Museum. The Monarch Elementary Chorus will be at Provident Bank and the 49 West Band will be at Wells Fargo. The Praise 150 gospel group will perform in front of the Gibson Agency.
“Four of our dance schools will also perform,” he said. “Ultimate Rhythm and Twist & Shout will be at the courthouse. The Dance Academy and Elaine’s Dance Zone will perform on Gadberry Street next to Wells Fargo.”
Inman said food will also be a big part of Christmas Open House.
“There’s going to be a tremendous amount of food and Christmas goodies on sale from one end of Main Street to the other,” Inman said. “There will be baked goods, hot cider, hot chocolate and coffee and all sorts of other good things to eat.”
No Christmas celebration would be complete without an appearance by a certain jolly old elf and Christmas Open House is no different.
“Santa Claus will make an early visit to Provident Bank,” Inman said. “He will be there for photos with the children.”
Christmas Open House is also an opportunity for the public to get better acquainted with the downtown business community and to get in a little early holiday shopping to boot.
“It appears we’re going to have good weather, it may be a little cool, but it looks like we will have great weather,” Inman said. “It would benefit everyone to come down and attend, not only to enjoy the food and entertainment, but also to visit our downtown merchants and businesses and get an early start to their Christmas shopping.”
For more information about Christmas Open House, call the Union County Chamber of Commerce at 427-9039.
Editor Charles Warner can be reached at 864-427-1234, ext. 14, or by email at cwarner@heartlandpublications.com.
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