The annual Holidays in the Square event coincides with First Saturdays this month.
Brian Myers with First Saturdays Downtown said along with the usual 20 to 30 businesses participating in the day with sales and artists on display and bands performing, Santa will be making a visit.
“Duncan Carriages is going to be bringing Santa Claus down Felix Street,” Myers said. “Duncan will be giving free carriage rides like they do every year for people that want to come down and see the park and listen to the Christmas music at the gazebo. The St. Joseph Public Library has been very awesome in giving us a lot of volunteers and sponsoring our craft and game booths, so we’re very grateful for them for their support.”
Myers said First Saturdays started about four years ago at the Lucky Tiger and has grown to include over 30 businesses each month. Also included in the holiday events on Saturday, seven churches downtown will be holding a holiday open house during the day. Most will be open from 2 until 6 p.m.
One of the open houses will be at 117 Francis. Tim Doyle is the Director of the Restoration Project and Pastor of Restoration Church. He said the open house from 6 to 8 p.m. features a vintage Christmas at a historic building.
“We have several different vignettes set up, we have some vintage fireplace scenes, our sleigh of course, which is awesome, we found a collector in St. Louis and worked a deal for that,” Doyle said. “On the stage we have some musical acts, so live music, some entertainment, meet some Victorian characters and learn the history of this awesome building. Just to see it, to step into this place that’s sort of hearkening back to an earlier era in our city, frankly, it’s something I think we can take pride in, that our city has such a great legacy that we want to preserve.”
Doyle said there is no monetary charge for the open house.
“We are suggesting people bring donations of warm hats, scarves, gloves and coats,” Doyle said. “We have designated Humboldt Elementary School, which is our partner school, and then The Crossing, which is a shelter for the homeless in downtown St. Joe, so if people can bring those items, we’ll pass them on to those who need them.”
First Saturdays events begin Saturday morning and run throughout the day.The annual downtown tradition of Holidays at the Square takes place December 3rd from 6-8:30 p.m. at Felix Street Square. For more information on events on December 3rd, click here.