As November draws to a close, Elizabethtown will be hosting holiday events this weekend and throughout December.
The first event is the Elizabethtown Christmas Parade, which precedes Light Up Downtown.
The parade will begin Friday at 7 p.m. on St. John Road, travel down West Dixie Avenue, and end at Walker Square, where the city’s large trees are on display.
City Events Department Manager Beth Pyles said the parade is normally held on Saturday, but they decided to move it to Friday night because parade participants are encouraged to use lights on their floats.
“The lights will add to the excitement,” Pyles said.
Pyles said the number of entries for this year’s parade increased by 25 compared to last year. Refreshments will also be available in the Historic State Theater parking lot.
“The Christmas parade is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season,” Pyles said.
Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory rides a firetruck with Santa Claus heading downtown. In the square, people stop in front of the Christmas tree and read, “This was the night before Christmas,” and count down to light the tree.
Some tickets are still on sale for Saturday’s “Breakfast with Santa” event at the theater. Tickets are available for $15 each at thestate270.org. Pyles said he has four morning time slots for the event.
Christmas movies will be shown in theaters every Saturday starting this weekend through December 23rd. The cost is $3 per ticket. Movie tickets can be purchased at thestate270.org or at the theater. The schedule is as follows.
• December 2nd, 1:00pm and 7:00pm: “Polar Express”
• Dec. 8, 7 p.m.: “Elf.”
• Dec. 9, 7 p.m.: “A Christmas Carol.”
• Dec. 15, 7 p.m.: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
• December 16th, 7pm: “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
• Dec. 22, 7 p.m.: “The Grinch” (2018)
• December 23rd, 7pm: “White Christmas”
Screenings of “Elf” are sponsored by United Real Estate Louisville and “The Grinch” (2018) is sponsored by Schuler Bauer.
Another event this weekend is Santa House, which will be held on the square Saturday and Sunday from 5pm to 7pm. Pyles said this has been a tradition since sometime in the 1970s and 1980s, and it’s making a comeback.
Community members can line up to meet Santa and take pictures with him for free. Pyles said their vision is to make this a new annual event.
“This is something we just wanted to bring to the community,” she said.
The Holly Jolly Experience will take place on December 8, 9, 15, and 16. Tickets are $15 and include a shuttle bus ride through the Christmas park, a photo with Santa, Christmas crafts, hot chocolate and cookies.
Tickets are available for purchase at etownevents.com and cost $15, but children 2 and under do not need a ticket. There are multiple routes each day, starting at 5:45pm and ending around 9:30pm. This year’s pick-up and drop-off location will be different and will be at the Pritchard Community Center.