If you are looking for something to get you into the Christmas or holiday spirit, then you won’t have to look very far in Williamsburg as several holiday events are already lined up.
The 18th Annual Williamsburg Turkey Trot 5-K will take place Thanksgiving morning. Registration will be at 8 a.m. and the race will start at 9 a.m. in front of the Whitley County Public Library.
Proceeds from this race will go to benefit the 20th Annual Williamsburg Police Department Shop with a Cop program, which takes less fortunate children on shopping trips to Walmart. It will take place on Dec. 18.
The Williamsburg Christmas Craft Bazaar is slated for Nov. 29 at the Williamsburg Tourism and Convention Center.
All the vendor space is booked up for this year’s event with 72 vendors taking part selling Christmas wreaths, ornaments and numerous other wares from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Also, the annual chili cookoff will take place that day at the Williamsburg Tourism and Convention Center from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
In addition, Nov. 29 is Small Business Saturday, which Mayor Roddy Harrison described as a statewide initiative to get people to patronize small businesses.
Williamsburg will host its annual Hanging of the Green ceremony on Dec. 6 at the Greenspace on Main.
Music is planned, and there will be a reading of “The Night Before Christmas” before the lighting of the town Christmas tree. There also might be hot chocolate at the event, Harrison added.
Dec. 8-12 will be judging for the Williamsburg Christmas Decorating Contest, which has both business and residential categories.
Peppermint Week will also take place Dec. 8-12. Harrison clarified that Peppermint Week is not connected to Williamsburg Feels Like Home Christmas Parade that will take place on Dec. 13 starting at 6 p.m. Peppermint is also not the theme for this year’s Christmas parade, as some people have assumed.
“Peppermint Week is across the state as well. Businesses that are open that week can serve a drink with peppermint in it. If they sell fudge, they can sell peppermint fudge. Peppermint Week is a marketing week for businesses that want to get involved,” Harrison explained.
The Williamsburg Tourism and Convention Commission is also planning to revive the town scavenger hunt, which will be Christmas-themed and take place Dec. 15-19.
Assistant Tourism Director Patty Faulkner said more details will be revealed at a later date. Those completing their scavenger hunt list will be entered into a grand prize drawing, and children completing the hunt will receive a treat bag. The grand prize has not yet been determined.
