Contributed
It is beginning to look like Christmas all around Mother Nature’s Playground. Our towns and businesses are busy preparing for an exciting Holiday Season.
The celebration begins right after Thanksgiving on Friday night, November 29, with the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at Goldston’s Beach at the Grand Regal.
Friday also marks the first night of the Festival of Lights at Lu Mil Vineyard in Dublin. This year, the popular event will feature a blowup space shuttle as a tribute to Bladen County Native, Curtis L. Brown Jr, a former NASA astronaut and retired United States Air Force Colonel. Visitors can drive through the three-plus mile Light Show and then park to enjoy The Country Buffet, Old-Fashioned Candy Shop, Kiddie Land, free visits, and photos with Santa, free wine tasting & alcohol-free tasting, hot chocolate booth, Gift Shop and more. The Festival opens from 6 to 10 pm on the weekends of Nov. 29 – Dec. 1 and Dec. 5 – 8, and nightly from Dec. 12 – 23. Check out their website for special nights and discounts.
On Saturday, November 30, local merchants welcome you to SHOP LOCAL with special sales and promotions. To encourage your visits, the Elizabethtown -White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce holds an Elf Scavenger Hunt throughout its members in Elizabethtown, Clarkton, Bladenboro, and Dublin. Pick up a scavenger hunt card at any participating merchant and search for the EWL Elf inside the stores.
– December 21: Bladen County Marketplace. This is the perfect place to find those last-minute local gifts and discover some new locally made favorites.
Starting at 4 pm on Sunday, December 1, the Annual Elizabethtown Christmas Parade, sponsored by Sharonview Federal Credit Union, will make its way down West Broad Street to the Downtown. The parade concludes with Santa Claus arriving on the 1929 Fire Truck. The Christmas Tree Lighting on the Courthouse Square takes place immediately following the parade. Sponsored by Liberty Home Care and Hospice, the ceremony will feature a performance from the Gifted East Coast Singers and caroling by candlelight.
For a complete listing of Christmas events, see the Event Calendar on the Elizabethtown-White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce website.