5 things to know about the Massillon Community Candlelight Walk

Amy L. Knapp, Massillon Independent
Updated ·3 min read
Historic Fourth Street will be lit by 900 candles during the Community Candlelight Walk on Sunday. Downtown churches and other locations will open their doors for guests to explore and enjoy live music, storytelling and history.
Historic Fourth Street will be lit by 900 candles during the Community Candlelight Walk on Sunday. Downtown churches and other locations will open their doors for guests to explore and enjoy live music, storytelling and history.

This story has been updated. See correction at bottom.

MASSILLON — The annual Community Candlelight Walk returns Sunday.

Community members can visit downtown churches decorated for the Christmas season from 5 to 7:30 p.m. during a self-guided stroll through the heart of the city. Following the walk, the Festival of Music and Candlelighting ceremony will be at St. Mary Church.

"Walkers stop into churches to appreciate the architecture and stay for just a minute or for several musical selections, at their own discretion,” said Margy Vogt, event chair. "Where else can you hear festive music — some performed by people you know, see stunning Tiffany windows, share Christmas spirit, show your grandchildren a massive model railroad, view luminescent Greek Orthodox icons, recognize an exceptional community leader, and sing along with the Washington High School choir all on one heartwarming evening?"

Here's what you need to know if you to enjoy the event:

Which Massillon churches are participating?

Guests can choose their own path for a self-guided tour that will take them to nine churches:

  • St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, 226 Cherry Road NW

  • St. Joseph Catholic Church, 32 Third St. SE

  • St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 364 First St. SE

  • St. John United Church of Christ, 101 Tremont Ave. SE

  • Central Presbyterian Church, 42 Second St. NE

  • Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, 27 Fourth St. NE

  • First United Methodist Church, 301 Lincoln Way E

  • St. Paul Lutheran Church, 127 Cherry Road NE

  • St. Mary Catholic Church, 206 Cherry Road NE

Each church will provide a different presentation such as music, church history and storytelling. Four of the churches — St. Joseph, First Methodist, St. Mary and St. Timothy's — are on the National Register of Historic Places.

The event is free and open to the public. Maps are available at each location.

Fourth Street will be lined with candles

The historic brick Fourth Street will be lit by 900 candles.

Along the way, guests can stop by Five Oaks, the home of the Massillon Woman's Club, to see the mansion decorated for the holidays in Victorian splendor and enjoy music.

Cookies and live music are included

Participants can stop by the Massillon Museum's Gessner Hall to warm up and grab a warm drink. Complimentary cookies, coffee, cocoa and tea will be available. The Northwest High School Singers will be on hand to entertain those stopping in.

A stop at the Massillon Public Library will treat visitors to keyboard and saxophone music.

The Lions Lincoln Theater is returning to the candlelight walk and will host live entertainment. While visiting First Methodist, be sure to check out the Massillon Railroad's Club display of O-gauge trains. (Enter through the back of the church on Third Street SE.)

Don't miss the show choirs, puppet show

Grace United Church of Christ, 933 Main Ave. W, will present music by the Tuslaw and Northwest show choirs from 4 to 5 p.m.

Massillon Connections Church, 308 Erie Ave. S, will present a short puppet play several times during the walk. The churches are not officially part of the Candlelight Walk, but present performances to complement the evening, officials said.

Sherie Brown will be honored

Sherie Brown will be honored at the Festival of Music and Candlelighting Ceremony at 7:45 p.m. at St. Mary Church. She was selected as the honorary community candlelighter from nominations for her outstanding contributions to Massillon's quality of life.

Brown, who retired earlier this year as director of the Massillon Public Library, was selected for her work to keep the library up to date, protect the aesthetics of the library building and keep up with reading and technology trends. Her commitment to public service was evident in all that she did as a member of the Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club and Rotary Foundation, playing the Tiger calliope for years and performing with VOCI and Stark Sings.

Music will be provided by the Washington High School choir and the Washingtonians; the combined choirs of St. Mary, St. Joseph and St. Barbara churches directed by Mark Thewes; and the Sixteenth Street Singers under the direction of Julie Dewald.

Correction: St. Paul Lutheran Church, 127 Cherry Road NE, will have live music as part of the Community Candlelight Walk. The church was omitted from the list when the story was first published.

Nancy Baker Cazan performs at St. Timothy’s Church during the 2022 Candlelight Walk in downtown Massillon. This year's self-guided tour throughout the city's churches and other locations is Sunday.
Nancy Baker Cazan performs at St. Timothy’s Church during the 2022 Candlelight Walk in downtown Massillon. This year's self-guided tour throughout the city's churches and other locations is Sunday.

This article originally appeared on The Independent: Sherie Brown to be honored at Massillon's Community Candlelight Walk