Bah Humbug! That’s not the only message to be garnered from “A
Christmas Carol.”
This Friday, students from Bradford Area High School and Floyd
C. Fretz Middle School will be acting out scenes from the classic
Christmas story in windows of businesses in Bradford’s Historic
downtown and surrounding areas as part of Living Windows.
“This is the first time we’ve had a theme of a particular
story,” said Main Street Manager Diane DeWalt. Storefronts
featuring scenes from the story by Charles Dickens will include Ott
& McHenry Pharmacy, Main Street Mercantile, Gigi’s, Blueberry
Hill Country & Keeping Ewe in Stitches, Bradford Furniture
Carpet Gallery, Mad Tatter, Foster Brook Glass and Goodwill.
“Everyone can relate to ‘A Christmas Carol.’ I think we’re all
familiar with Scrooge and Tiny Tim and the story and we hope
everyone has fun with it,” DeWalt said. “It was an idea suggested
by a volunteer who came in and was working with me on the event. We
just decided to go with it.”
And most of the downtown businesses, whether they are hosting a
Living Window or are just decorating for the holidays, will be open
during the event, which is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday.
Some of the downtown decorations will be specially made for the
occasion by School Street Elementary School students, DeWalt
added.
“They are making murals that will be hung up in some of the
storefronts,” she said.
The costumes and props used for the holiday undertaking will be
coming from Goodwill Industries, DeWalt said. And some of the
students are making props as well.
“They are very excited. They are having a lot of fun with it,”
she said. “Some kids are going to be out on the sidewalk … from
some of the scenes where there are parties or dancing.”
And still others will be acting as ambassadors, offering
directions and locations of special events.
The weather is expected to be a bit uncooperative – with low
temperatures reaching an expected 16 degrees – but DeWalt said
there will be plenty of places to run inside to warm up.
The Twin Tiers Community Band will be performing concerts at 6
and at 7 p.m. inside the former Beneficial building at 57 Main St.,
which was donated for the night by John Kohler Properties.
And that Christmas favorite, Santa Claus himself, will be in
Veterans Square, accompanied by some elves. Members of the Street
Dreams Car Club will be caroling in the Square, and welcome anyone
to grab a songbook from today’s Bradford Era and join in.
Horse drawn carriage rides, sponsored by the Bradford Area
Business Group, will be leaving from the National City Bank parking
lot and making a loop of Main Street.
Some of the businesses will be offering cookies and warm
beverages, so DeWalt suggested that people bundle up, come
downtown, walk around, pop into a business to warm up and do some
shopping and enjoy what Bradford has to offer.
“We’re welcoming everyone to participate however they choose,”
she said.
