A very Creston Christmas

Between the lighted Christmas parade, Merry Marketplace and a host of other activities this weekend, there’s plenty of Christmas cheer to go around.

Starting 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 30, the Festival of Trees will be open at the American Home Design Center, staying open all day until after the parade. The festival will be open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday and from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday as well. Santa and Mrs. Clause will be at the Restored Depot from 5 to 7 p.m., with the Friends of the Library serving cider, hot chocolate and doughnut holes alongside Miss Iowa 2023 Alysa Goethe.

Also at the depot during this time will be the model railroaders. The Creston Art Gallery will be open from 4:30 p.m. to close, and there will be the Crossroads Soup Summer running form 5 to 6:30 p.m. The Appalachia Service Project will be selling funnel cakes from the ISSB Bank drive thru from 5 to 8 p.m.

A community tree lighting will take place outside of the depot at 6 p.m. Thursday, with music starting at 5:30 p.m. This is the third year Creston has done a lighted tree ceremony.

“Last year the tree was donated by Chad and Amy Rieck and Kyle and Ashley Weaver, and they donated the tree again,” Elevate Uptown Committee member Meredith Wulf said. “We’ve had two trees that have come away from what used to be Pine Valley Golf. It’s been great of them to offer that up to us.”

Performing this year will be Goethe and members of the SWCC vocal department.

“In addition to the SWCC singers that are coming back, Miss Iowa, Alysa Goethe, is going to come and sing for us to kick off the lighting,” Wulf said. “Then right at 6 p.m., Susan Weight, who was just named volunteer of the year here in Creston, will be doing a welcome and helping light the tree.”

Wulf said she’s enjoyed the new tradition, and appreciates all the help from community members and the city crew.

At 7 p.m., following the tree lighting, Creston Chamber’s lighted Christmas parade will take place. With a theme of “There’s No Place Like Creston for the Holidays,” area businesses and organizations will take to the street with floats. The only stipulation is that there must be lights.

“We try to keep it simple,” Chamber Director Ellen Gerharz said. “It kind of kicks off the Christmas/holiday season. Everybody is just in a better mood and there’s smiles on the faces. It’s just a different time of year.”

Gerharz is especially excited about a new addition to the parade - the shovel brigade.

“There was a group of gals in the shovel brigade who did a dance in the parade with their shovels. That slowly died, but I got to thinking, maybe I could call Danika at the Spotlight school, and maybe we can get a mom and daughter combo started,” Gerharz said. “There’s going to be 10 of them this year in the new updated version of the shovel brigade.”

Following the parade, ISSB will have a holiday jazz open house featuring the Creston Middle School jazz band.

At noon on Saturday, Dec. 2, a quilt raffle drawing will take place at the American Home Design Center.

The third annual Merry Marketplace will go from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in uptown Creston.

“Merry Marketplace is an uptown shopping experience in which a variety of vendors and makers are placed inside our uptown merchants,” Elevate Uptown Committee member Jill Hoakison said. “We’re just very grateful that our merchants uptown are opening their doors to them. Approximately 24 different makers and vendors will be placed uptown.”

2023 vendors include Lisa Jean Designs, Mie Mie’s Makeryand Berly & Blake Lavender Co. A full list of vendors can be found at Merry Marketplace’s Facebook page.

In addition to the vendors, 50 tote bags will be availalbe to pick up at The Lobby the day of, first come, first serve. Free carriage rides will be offered uptown from 10 a.m. to noon, thanks to donations. There will also be a Christmas home tour this year.

“New this year, we’re calling our Holly and Ivy home tour. Our cocktail/mocktail hour will be at The Lobby and that runs from 2 to 4 p.m. Individuals can purchase $10 Holly and Ivy tickets at either UCDA during their hours this week, or purchase them day of from 2 to 4 p.m.,” Hoakison said. “When you go and do your check in at the Lobby, we will give you your map of the area homes. Our community hasn’t had a home tour for a while and we just really thought this would be a nice add on.”

Santa will be closing the weekend events on Sunday, Dec. 3. From 5 to 7 p.m., Santa will be available for visits at the Historical Village in McKinley Park.