Join us in downtown Elkin on Friday, December 6th, 2024 for our annual Light up Elkin Celebration! The event is from 5 pm till 9 pm, but our downtown library starts events earlier for the little ones around 3:30pm. Festivities start downtown after 5 pm with hay rides, train rides, a live nativity, and visits with holiday characters like the Grinch, Cindy Lou Who and Max, the ice princess & her sis
ter, Buddy the Elf, gingerbread man, holiday elves and the Lords and Ladies of Light! At 6:00 pm, the light-up kick-off will be at the east end of Main Street at the stairway (across from 222 E Main St). HEADLINERS:
--Come early for puppet shows at the Elkin library (starting at 3:45) and train rides (starting after 5pm till 9pm).
---6:00 - Santa arrives at the LIGHT UP location with a welcome ceremony (follow the music from the EHS band to the gathering place), then heads towards W Main St for Santa visits with the children at the Three Trails hotel lobby.
--Holiday decoration contest, shops open late with live music, carolers and holiday characters along Main St. Grab a holiday passport at any retail store to participate in voting. Or, you can go on Elkin Main Street and look for our post to VOTE, by liking the photos attached.
--6:30 - The Stages (257 Standard St), there's a pre-show of holiday songs performed by Joyful Noise singers starting at 6:30, then at 7:00 pm, enjoy children from Pam Wurdeman's Academy of Dance & Performing Arts dancing on the big stage for a 30-minute show.
--8:00 = Llive entertainment will be at The Reeves Theater with Donna the Buffalo starting at 8pm with ticketed seating.
--The Foothills Arts Council's Merry Makers Market (held inside the Wisdom Table) offers beautiful holiday gifts for sale Friday and Saturday. The Holly Jolly Marketplace is on Standard St, across from the live nativity. Enjoy a night of festive holiday small-town charm like no other in the region, including food trucks, market vendors on Main Street next to the Sweet Tooth Zone, and enjoy downtown restaurants and our festive nightlife!
--Trim a Tree for Charity! Stop by the decorated Christmas trees and vote for your favaorite to raise money for that charity! (Corner of Standard & S Bridge St).
-- Brunswick Stew Fund Raiser (hop on the downtown shuttle and get off at the Black Bear Tattoo stop... enjoy firepits and stew for a good cause! Small charge.
-- Ham & Egg Dinner at Elkin's Masonic Lodge (Market St next to Garden Route Coffee house). Come and vote for your favorite decorated window in downtown! Look for the QR code inside participating locations (see poster at entrance) and access that QR Code to vote!! (Contest runs from Nov 30 to Dec 15)
HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS for Light up Elkin:
Official Light Up Ornament - will be at Candles Etc (109 W Main St). LETTERS TO SANTA accepting letters daily, starting now at the Elkin Post Office that has a mail box set up for the North Pole! Be sure to drop your letters to Santa into the box inside the Post Office Lobby. Mail box goes up in mid-November! Santa promises a response for each letter.
***KIDS EVENT: DURING LIGHT UP ELKIN... Wildflower Boutique (111 W Main) Kids can write a letter to Santa that night, then walk it over to the Elkin Post Office and drop it in their special NORTH POLE mail box.
--There will also be other craft tables set up for kids to enjoy and create fun holiday items! THE LORD and LADIES OF LIGHTS:
Look for the Lord and Ladies of Lights that evening along Main Street. They'll have a list of events around downtown, and where they are located to hand out to you! The kids love taking photos with them too. EARLY EVENTS: ELKIN PUBLIC LIBRARY
3:45 pm & 4:45 pm - EARLY EVENT for KIDS!:
TBA
FESTIVAL FOOD OPTIONS (other than restaurants):
- 5 pm - 7:00 pm - ANNUAL HAM & EGG DINNER - Inside Masonic Lodge (W Market St)
- 5 pm - 9:00 pm - BRUNSWICK STEW Fundraiser for Mercy & Truth Ministries (to-go Quarts or by the bowl) at Black Bear Tattoo. (E Main Street - You can access via the Hayride downtown loop should you not wish to walk). Indoor and outdoor seating to enjoy your soup, and firepits to keep you cozy!
- FOOD TRUCK at Elkin Rail Yard on Front St . Two Chefs serving up great sandwiches with fire pits, lots of great beer options at the RailYard with outdoor seating. SWEET TOOTH ZONE:
5:00 - 9 pm on W Main St area from Bridge St to Church St. Includes hot dog tent for the kids:
- A-Maize-ing Kettle Korn
- Duck Donuts
- DEEP FRIED COOKIE DOUGH food truck
- Sugar Mama's Cookies
- Milk & Honey Coffee Truck
FOOD TRUCKS
- Burgers & More
- Rub & Grub
- The Hot Dog Boy
- The Tipsy Tagalong Drinks
- Two Chefs (located at The Elkin Railyard) walk westbound on Main, turn left at the post office driveway to cut thru to the Railyard). VENDOR VILLAGE 5:00 to 9pm:
- Farmers Market & non-profit vendors will be located along W Main St.
- Christmas trees & wreaths for sale, located on S Bridge St near Candy Cane Lane. Claus will be walking along Main Street but if inclement weather, you'll find her near 101 W Main St where Santa will be for photos. o Most holiday characters will be located along Main Street. o The Grinch will be ready for visitors along with Cindy Lou Who and Max from 5 to 8pm. Location at 125 W Main St. Hot chocolate & cookies.
6:30 pm till at least 8pm -Photos with SANTA (or later until the line dwindles):
• Santa visits/photos located inside the Three Trails Hotel lobby on Main Street at 101 W Main. Bring your own camera to take a photo.... OR....
****This year we'll have a photographer on hand from 6:30-7:30pm if you'd like her to take professional photos of your child/children with Santa (for a small fee).
🎄 VIE ARTISTRY · MINI // Santa Sessions at Three Trails Lobby
Get into the holiday spirit with Santa at the Three Trails lobby in Elkin, NC! Join Sydney Sieviec, founder of Vie Artistry, for a magical mini photography session with Santa on Friday, December 6, 2024, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. Let Sydney capture the joy of the season, so you can enjoy the moment while she preserves the magic of your holiday memories!
🎄 PACKAGE DETAILS 🎄�
— Price: $15 in advance or $20 on the day of the event; includes sales tax.�
— Includes: Two beautifully retouched full-resolution and web-resolution digital images delivered via a secure online gallery, plus a limited print release. Additional a la carte images may be available. LIVE MUSIC! Friday night live music inside downtown locations:
o Fiddle Dee Dee at Donna Kaye's Sandwich Shoppe (E Main St)
o Naomi Orr plays the harp at Candles Etc. (W Main St)
o Ryan Newcomb at River & Trails Emporium (E Main St)
o Keith Lee at American Aquatic (W Main St)
o Angry Troll (lower level) - Wendy Wooten from 8 to 11 pm
LIVE NATIVITY-
5pm - 9pm (provided by Elkin Valley Baptist Church) will be at the corner of Market/N Bridge St. FOOTHILLS ARTS COUNCIL'S MERRY MARKET at the Wisdom Table:
The holiday market will be located inside of The Wisdom Table (101 E Main St) on Friday, Dec 2nd (6:00 to 9:30 pm) and Saturday (noon to 6pm). You'll find dozens of beautiful local crafts/art/gifts unique to the area. OTHER EVENTS at downtown businesses:
1. Wildflowers - come for fun kids crafts, and a table to write letters to Santa! Letters to Santa... Pop in and "Create your own Stained Glass Tree"....Color your own Christmas Card;
Spend $25 and be entered in a raffle to win a free basket of goodies from our vendors in the store.
2. The Wisdom Table hosts the Merry Makers Market (locally made crafts for sale)
3. Belvia's on Main will be open with face painting, fairy hair.
4. Elkin Antiques & Collectibles Mall - Candy Cane Lane holiday lights!
5. Oils 4 Life - Free neck rubs, foot soaks and hand massages. Itovi scans, Hot Chocolate for $1.00, Sugar scrubs, scented candles, special gift items.
6. Yoga on Main will have Lavender Anne's gift shop inside! Stop by for some great gift ideas!
7. Buddy the Elf!! Stop by and visit with buddy in his magical toy shop! (beside Midtown Barber on E Main St).
8. Holly Jolly Marketplace offers lots of goodies and gifts, including Dewey's items. (Market St/Bridge St). FREE HAYRIDES / Shuttle Transport to Events & Parking:
With a tractor (not horses) - offered all night long (starting after 5:00 pm). Line-ups will be on W Main Street near post office. You can get off/on at any stop along the way...
From 5 to 5:20, we'll be offering rides from parking lots to Main Street. From 5:30 to 9pm, we'll be offering hayrides routes with hop on/hop off at any hayride shuttle stop.
- 5:30 pm start time:
ROUTE 1 will do a downtown loop to all parking areas and the Candy Cane Lane. Route (W Main, EES, Live Nativity, Market east to East Main, Black Bear Tattoo (Stew fundraiser), E Standard St parking, Candy Cane Lane, W Standard St, Elkin Railyard, E Main St.
- 5:30 pm start time:
ROUTE 2 will go up West Main 1/2 way, loop back down to Front/Standard St, Candy Cane Lane, Live Nativity, then back to starting point. FREE TRAIN RIDES:
5:15 - 9 pm - with the Little Mountain Railroad Co! See you on E Main Street to line up for the rides! Train line up will be at Kennedy Auto. The hot dog boy will be set up across the street for hungry kiddos! DECORATIONS:
Check out the beautiful storefront windows lit up for the holidays that night! Vote for your favorites as we're having a window decorating contest this year!!! Pick up a passport at any retail store and vote for your 3 favorites! TAKE A GREAT HOLIDAY PHOTO! Look for these PHOTO OPS in downtown:
1. Candy Cane Lane at Elkin Antiques & Collectibles Mall on S Bridge St. (Shuttle stop will be offered here for a FANTASTIC photo op!).
2. Trees at the Rock Facade park (115 W Main)
3. The Stairway where Santa arrives (E Main St, across from Angry Troll)
4. Tree of Lights (corner of Market & N Bridge St)
5. Trees for Charity (corner of Standards & S Bridge St)
OPEN LATE IN DOWNTOWN:
o Angry Troll with live music. o Elkin RailYard's last weekend! Stop by for food truck and firepits! o Fruition Cocktail Lounge
o Wisdom Table
o Embers Eclectic Pub
PARKING THIS YEAR with TRANSPORTATION to Main St:
--Streets closed off along Main Street (from Church Street to Court St) this year, with police at intersections on Bridge St (at Main St and Market St) to assist with pedestrian crossings and also at Church St/Main St.
--Please use the Hayride to visit the various event locations downtown and ENJOY our cozy downtown celebration! Public Parking locations available this year (**Hayride shuttles every 15 minutes):
-Elkin Elementary School parking ($5.00 per car fund raiser to park there) **
-Street parking on Standard (with hayride p/u at Dog Park & Heritage and Trails Center) **
-Farmers Market lot at Town Hall
-Masonic Lodge lot (Market & Church St)
-Richard Gwyn Museum Lot (139 Church St) next to Reeves School of Music.
-Large parking lot on Front Street/Main St (diagonally from library)
-Some street parking Main St from Church St westbound to Front St; Main Street from Court St eastbound.
