GREENWOOD -- Christmas celebrations in one of the River Valley's larger cities will have a little more cheer this year.
Greenwood will hold its inaugural Christmas on the Square event Monday. Residents can come out to the city square and partake in a variety of festivities leading up to the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce's Christmas Parade at 7 p.m.
Casey Craig, city parks director, said the Christmas on the Square is a kickoff to the holiday season meant to bring the community together in celebration after the covid-19 pandemic. The chamber has sponsored a Christmas parade for years, but Monday's event will be the first to feature a number of activities beforehand.
Craig said the Parks and Recreation Department asked several local vendors to offer residents both food and drink starting at 5 p.m. These include Bone's Coffee Bar, Heavenly Sensations Gourmet Cookies, Molly's Eggrolls, Sally's Sweets, Simply Smoked, Southern Sippin' and Taqueria San Antonio.
Jeremy Lensing, owner and operator of Simply Smoked, said his food truck will have pulled pork sandwiches, chips and smoked pickles in stock. Lensing is originally from Greenwood.
"I've always enjoyed going to the parades and I thought, 'Well, if I could go down there and be a part of it, and while people are waiting to watch they could grab something good to eat, it'd kind of kill two birds with one stone,'" Lensing said.
Craig said Mayor Doug Kinslow will start the celebrations at 6 p.m. by turning on a display of lights at the city square.
"We have a very large 24-foot Christmas tree, and that's kind of the centerpiece of the square, and it'll all light up at once," Craig said.
This will be followed at 6:20 p.m. by students from Greenwood schools, including East Pointe and Westwood elementary schools, East Hills Middle School and Greenwood Junior High School, singing Christmas carols. Craig estimated about 100 students are expected to perform. Residents will also be able to meet and take pictures with Santa Claus from 5:30 p.m. until shortly before the parade starts.
Bob Purvis, executive director for the chamber, said the parade will run from Greenwood High School on Main Street and across the City Square. It will entries by individuals, businesses and groups from the community. Candy will be thrown to the children in attendance.
"Our theme this year is a hometown Christmas," Purvis said. "We're showing off what a little town, traditional Christmas looks like."
Purvis said the chamber has asked people to donate toiletry items to have an entry in the parade, rather than money. These items will collected for the School District's Parent Center, who will then distribute them to families in need. However, the entries themselves will be eligible for monetary prizes in various categories.
Purvis said the chamber will also host a free bean and cornbread feed from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at its office on the square.
"Greenwood's official slogan is 'Feels like home,' and a community Christmas parade with everybody coming together for a crisp evening in December to have a good time and share with their neighbors pretty well says it all as far as what we think is important about Greenwood," Purvis said. "It's a great place to live, and having community events is a whole big chunk of what makes Greenwood a great place to live."
Craig said Christmas on the Square will be rescheduled to Dec. 12 if the event is cancelled due to inclement weather Monday. He urged residents to watch the Parks and Recreation Facebook page for updates on the subject.
Dewayne Tucker (left) and Hunter Jones with the City of Greenwood Parks and Recreation Department help set up holiday displays, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, in downtown Greenwood. The city will host its inaugural Christmas on the Square event Monday as a lead-up to the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade, which starts at 7 p.m. Visit nwaonline.com/photo for today's photo gallery. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
Dewayne Tucker (left) and Hunter Jones with the City of Greenwood Parks and Recreation Department help set up holiday displays, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, in downtown Greenwood. The city will host its inaugural Christmas on the Square event Monday as a lead-up to the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade, which starts at 7 p.m. Visit nwaonline.com/photo for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
Casey Craig (from right), director of the City of Greenwood Parks and Recreation Department, along with Hunter Jones, Mark Huneycutt and Dewayne Tucker help set up holiday displays, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, in downtown Greenwood. The city will host its inaugural Christmas on the Square event Monday as a lead-up to the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade, which starts at 7 p.m. Visit nwaonline.com/photo for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
Casey Craig (from left), director of the City of Greenwood Parks and Recreation Department, along with Hunter Jones, Mark Huneycutt and Dewayne Tucker help set up holiday displays, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, in downtown Greenwood. The city will host its inaugural Christmas on the Square event Monday as a lead-up to the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade, which starts at 7 p.m. Visit nwaonline.com/photo for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
Casey Craig (from left), director of the City of Greenwood Parks and Recreation Department, along with Hunter Jones, Mark Huneycutt and Dewayne Tucker, helps set up holiday displays, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, in downtown Greenwood. The city will host its inaugural Christmas on the Square event Monday as a lead-up to the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade, which starts at 7 p.m. Visit nwaonline.com/photo for today's photo gallery. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)Past parade participation
The Greenwood Chamber of Commerce’s Christmas Parade usually features more than 100 entries.
Source: Bob Purvis, executive director for the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce