WOOD RIVER - Downtown Wood River was packed with families for a visit with Santa Claus and a petting zoo, plus businesses were open for visitors, and many offered special Christmas beverages and food items.

“We had Santa along Ferguson and it was sponsored by the Police Association and enrichment network of downtown,” Wood River Mayor Tom Stalcup said. “Several of the businesses had a great crowd and treated people with cookies and punch for a neat event.”

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Wood River Police Chief Brad Wells said before the event, some of the residents said they were having a difficult time getting their kids in for different Santa events, so they took the situation into their own hands and created this new addition to Small Business Saturday with the petting zoo.

Mayor Stalcup said the Wood River businesses had a lot of success on Saturday.

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