This year, downtown Ellijay’s “Light Up” festivities will cover two days starting the day after Thanksgiving.
The traditional lighting of the town Christmas tree, which was put up last week on the square, will be done Friday, Nov. 24, at 6 p.m.
The tree lighting is part of an event hosted by Friends of the Gilmer Animal Shelter (FOGAS) in conjunction with Engage in Gilmer, a new countywide merchants/event association.
The Authentic Ellijay Christmas event, which will essentially be Light up Ellijay part one, will run from 4-6 p.m. along Broad Street next to the courthouse.
(There will be various activities for kids, including an inflatable gingerbread house for Santa pictures, throughout the afternoon, noted FOGAS president Sylvia Harris. Pictures with Santa will be available for a $10 minimum donation as a fundraiser for FOGAS. Kids, adults and pets are welcome to have their pictures made with Santa.
Another popular cornerstone of any Light Up Ellijay, the Christmas parade through downtown, will be among the part two festivities Saturday, Dec 2.
The parade will start at 6 p.m., and there will be various other activities around the square that afternoon, said Pam Burns, Engage chairperson.
“The vendors and everything will be set up at noon. There will be school choruses singing carols on the lawn of the Downtown Welcome Center from 3-5 p.m. There will be pictures with Santa before the parade on the courthouse steps from 3-6 p.m.,” she added.
The parade will head from McCutchen Street down North Main Street, then around the square, noted Burns. The parade theme is A Mountain Style Christmas, and Burns said she’s still accepting applications for parade participation.
An after-parade party will also be a new feature this year. It will take place in the courthouse parking lot behind the welcome center and Dalton State right after the parade has ended and will be open to the public.
“This will be the first time we’ve done (a Light Up Ellijay after party). The floats that choose to be in the after party will be in the parking lot. People can talk to the people on the floats, get candy from them and things like that,” Burns said.