Light Up Downtown Canton to feature new, classic holiday fun
CANTON − The 32nd annual Light Up Downtown will include classic elements as well as some new features this year.
The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce event will be 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday along Market Avenue from Eighth Street NW to Seventh Street SW. The approximately 45-minute stage show featuring Santa Claus will begin at 6 p.m. at Centennial Plaza and will be followed by fireworks.
"(Santa) starts the fireworks and then the kids will line up to see him throughout until 8:30 at Centennial Plaza," event manager Kathy Lindenberger said.
Figure skaters and hockey players will take to the Hall of Fame City Ice Rink, which will open for the first day of public skating Friday. The Canton Fire Department also will be distributing hats, mittens, scarves, gloves and socks in the 500 block of Market Avenue S as part of the annual Spread the Warmth initiative.
There will be refreshments, horse and carriage rides, and live reindeer downtown throughout the event.
New this year will be a Little Roaming Railroad for children and adults to ride around Central Plaza South past the city's Christmas tree and an antique trolley provided by Stark Area Regional Transit Authority. There also will be a photo booth at Second Street NW and Market Avenue.
Village of Shops
The first Village of Shops in conjunction with Light Up Downtown will be 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the lobby of DoubleTree by Hilton. The village is a "smaller version" of the popular 720 Market co-created by Lynn Shimko and was first introduced last year at Oakwood Square.
"It's new for Light Up downtown people," she said. "They've not seen this before."
The 720 Market coordinated a boutique for a chamber event earlier this year and the partnership led to the Light Up arrangement. Shimko said there'll be 15 to 20 vendors at the Village of Shops selling "quick giftables," such as chocolates and candies.
Vendors will include: Shadygrove Greenhouse, Cazz Creations, Moonlit Window Studio, Purple Petal Boutique, Everyday Custom, Made by Martinez, Completely Cookied, Tiffany's Cutie Pies, and Lauren's Custom Cookie Kits.
The initial Village of Shops was held in sheds at Oakwood Square, but this one will be modified for the indoor venue.
"That's not something we can actually replicate inside the hotel, but we're going to do a few things with signage and decorations that we hope will get a feel for it," Shimko said.
A full 720 Market will occur from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Canton Memorial Civic Center. There'll be about 120 vendors selling more "high-end" gifts and various homegrown, homemade and homebaked wares.
"There'll be food trucks and music and everything that you would expect at a 720 Market," Shimko said.
The event is free, but there will be a $5 fee for Civic Center parking to benefit ArtsinStark and attendants are asked to reserve a time slot at eventbrite.com/e/720-dec-mkt-canton-tickets-461110151877.
Reach Kelly at 330-580-8323 or kelly.byer@cantonrep.comOn Twitter: @kbyerREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Light Up Downtown Canton to feature new, classic holiday fun
