Old Fashioned Christmas is coming again, and locals are invited to hit the streets of downtown Bradford for an all-encompassing, annual holiday event slated for Dec. 10.
“Old Fashioned Christmas will be held within downtown Bradford’s historic district next Saturday, in which merchants will feature holiday sales and special events,” according to Office of Economic and Development coordinator Anita Dolan. “This warm community event is free and open to the public, and I strongly encourage all who can make it downtown to do so. There will be a lot of great holiday activities and fun shopping and Christmas opportunities for everyone.”
Brunch with Santa will take place from 9 a.m. through 11 a.m. at The Beefeaters Restaurant. It will feature a buffet-style brunch, in which Beefeaters will serve breakfast and lunch foods in its upstairs accommodations.
“Santa will be there, with Mrs. Claus, for the children to tell him what they would like for Christmas this year,” Dolan told The Era.
Cost for adults is $11.99, and children seven and under will be $6.99.
At 10:30 a.m., there will be a free showing of The Polar Express at the Main Street Movie House. Doors to the showing will open at 10.
“There will also be a special visit from Santa after the movie in the lobby,” Dolan added.
Live chainsaw carving demonstrations by Appalachian Arts Studio will take place from 11 a.m. through 3 p.m. out front of the Main Street Mercantile.
“Stop by and watch the talented artists turn blocks of wood into masterpieces,” Dolan explained. “There will be some for purchase, which certainly make one-of-a-kind Christmas gifts.”
Held in conjunction with the demonstrations, horse-drawn wagon rides throughout historic downtown Bradford will run from 11 a.m. through 3 p.m. The loading zone will also be out front of the Main Street Mercantile, Dolan said.
“If you are driving and see the horse-drawn wagon, we just ask that you please be courteous and share the road,” she noted.
The Mercantile will also be hosting a Holiday Wreath Making class from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The class will be taught by Kim Bidwell, and anyone interested is asked to sign up ahead of time at the store to ensure their reserved spot in the class. The cost is $15 for all the materials.
“These cute holiday wreaths would make a cute gift,” Dolan said.
The Winter Wine Walk will also be held from 4 to 8 p.m., organizers noted. Specific details will be made once they have been determined.
In addition to these events, Dolan said downtown businesses will also offer specials and sales throughout the day.
“This year’s event is full of family fun and great shopping opportunities” said Dolan. “The whole downtown is very excited about Old Fashioned Christmas. And it is a wonderful community event that keeps growing each year. Old Fashioned Christmas is the perfect opportunity for the whole family to enjoy downtown Bradford’s historic character and finish up some Christmas shopping.”
The event began in 2009 and has been an annual event since then, Dolan continued. It began through the Main Street program and is now one of the events that the Downtown Bradford Business District Authority (DBBDA) organize each year.
“I believe much of Old Fashioned Christmas’s growth, as an area-wide event, is because our downtown business district has also grown — many new businesses have opened up over the past few years,” Dolan explained. “Also, the merchants themselves have become a lot more proactive in successfully helping to plan the events. I expect this year’s event will also be successful.”
In addition, there is “an increased awareness” about buying and selling locally, Dolan pointed out, which she believes also contributes to events like the Old Fashioned Christmas seeing positive turnouts.
“The Main Street program and the DBBDA work very hard to support the shop local initiative, both through awareness and the downtown events like this one,” Dolan stated. “I think this is a great event for families to step back to a simpler time, do some local shopping, enjoy Santa, the carriage rides and our beautiful historic district for what it has become. I look forward to seeing everyone at the Old Fashioned Christmas on Saturday.”
