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JERSEYVILLE - Kicking off the Christmas season, Jerseyville held its annual Downtown Country Christmas event on Saturday.
Downtown Jerseyville was completely blocked off to make room for all of the festivities taking place all Saturday long. There was so much to see as families walked the decorated downtown streets, stopping off at all the different activities.
“One of my favorite things about Jerseyville are community events. And this one has just got so much to see and do. Fun for the whole family. We’ve always enjoyed ourselves in past years and this year has been great too,” said Emma Calderon who both volunteered and enjoyed attending the event.
Kids activities were scattered throughout the event. Hayrides driving through the downtown streets, blow-ups, crafts, and games kept younger attendees busy and having fun.
“Today is a lot of fun and it only gets better with the lighting of the tree and the parade! It takes a lot of people to make this event happen, it's a wonderful thing to see everyone come together. Everything that went into making it happen is possible because of the people of Jerseyville, businesses, residents, everyone from this town,” said Jenny Whitaker who helped pass out treats during the event.
Many of the businesses in downtown Jerseyville got in on the fun too, not just with decorating their storefronts but hosting some of the activities inside their stores. Cookies, hot chocolate, and coffee were offered in a few store locations. Others opened their doors for crafts or even to host the North Pole Post Office, giving kids a chance to get their letters out to Santa.
For adults, live music included Isaiah Christian & the Rebel Saints, Carl & Jay Acoustic Styling, Flatliner, and Music of District 100. One of the most packed parts of the festivities was the Exhibition Tent, featuring an additional stage where choirs and other talents performed. The tent hosted many booths selling an array of wares. The tent was filled with warm heaters, making it the go-to spot for attendees to shop and get warm before heading back out into the cold and fog. Jerseyville’s Historic Cheney Mansion was also open for tours during the day. Food trucks were also set up along with popcorn for sale and lots of fried treats.
“It's a great way to get out and meet up with friends at Country Christmas, shopping and just enjoying everything they have to offer here. We’re mostly looking forward to the parade later tonight. But so far we’ve done the tractor ride and went into the exhibition. Now it's time to find some hot chocolate and maybe get in line for a picture with Santa,” said Kayleigh Mullen of Jerseyville.
The free photos with Santa were another huge hit, with a line wrapping outside and around the building. Santa was inside of Mrs. Claus’ Bake Shop where candies and treats were sold inside the festively decorated building. And as evening arrived, everyone gathered around the huge City of Jerseyville Christmas tree for the big tree lighting moment. Followed by Rudolph’s Red Nose Parade, the perfect way to end the full day of festivities.
To keep up to date with everything happening in Jerseyville check out their website http://jerseyville-il.us
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