Business & Tech
Downtown Christmas Event Sunday to Feature Santa, Parade and More
Holiday music, horse and wagon rides and a merchants' open house highlight holiday celebration.
In a way, Barb Watters, director of the Village Centre Business Improvement District, hopes it snows just a bit Sunday afternoon to give downtown Menonomee Falls a snow globe effect for Sunday's Christmas Downtown event.
"Just a little — and it has," she said days before the annual event.
The event, hosted by the BID, will feature a visit from Santa, holiday music along with horse and wagon rides throughout the day. In addition, a merchants' open house will be held from noon to 4 p.m. at each store.
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"For the businesses down here, it's kind of like their customer appreciation day," Watters said. "They put out some snacks and stuff like that and, of course, they would like to see you purchase local for Christmas."
Watters said her favorite part of the day is the $2 horse and wagon rides.
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"Just having the live horses down here takes you back a little bit to possibly what it looked like in 1890s," Watters said. "Hearing them and their walk."
The event will also feature the Santa Around The World contest in which a Santa will be placed in many downtown stores.
"Each merchant has picked a country and they have dressed their Santa or put something on it so people have to come in and guess which country it's from," Watters said.
Participants can get a contest form at Menonomeefallsdowntown.com. Random drawing of forms with all of the correct answers will be held. Drawing winners will receive a $100, $50 or $25 gift certificate to any business downtown.
The event, culminating with the Christmas parade at 4:30 p.m., is also intended to bring the community together.
"Everyone looks forward to the parade, so (everyone) knows that they are spending the entire day in the downtown area," Watters said. "It's about tradition."
The event will feature:
- A visit from Santa from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Bradley Realty, N88W16733 Appleton Ave.
- Carolers in the streets, from Accompany of kids and the Falls Patio Players
- Musical entertainment at from noon to 3:30 p.m.
- Train rides from 1 to 3 p.m.
- A tree lighting at 4 p.m. at Centennial Park
- The Christmas parade at 4:30 p.m. The parade starts on Main Street west of Pilgrim Road, then travels west on Main Street, and then south on Appleton Ave.