Rutherford Weekly

ISSUE NO. 47 • November 24, ISSUE NO. 47 • November 24, 2021 • 2021 • RutherfordWeekly.com • 828-248-1408 RutherfordWeekly.com • 828-248-1408 Our 29 th Year • Over 25,000 Weekly Readers www.mooresautos.com www.mooresautos.com 345 South Broadway, Forest City 828-245-8067 M O O RE ' S AUTO S ALES ©Community First Media Community First Media Call or come by today! From our family to yours! Dating back even before the days when Howard Harrill Decorating dressed up towns, cities, malls and other venues all over the country for Christmas, Forest City has been lit up, ribboned and bowed. "It's a Hallmark Christmas town," Amy Bridges, Downtown Community Development Director said of the lights and special events that will soon gussy up Forest City for the season. Carriage rides, hay rides, ice skating, and downtown businesses rolling out the welcome mat all get underway with the lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving night, November 25. Mayor Steve Holland, special guests, and the In His Glory quartet will kick off the season at the downtown fountain. Christmas carols will be sung. And the ceremony kicks off weeks of holiday action. The town's inspiring and community building Christmas parade begins at 3 p.m. on Sunday, November 28. Floats, bands, fi re engines and dance studios will dot the parade route to the jubilation of all who gather along Main Street. There will even be a guy who bears a resemblance to Santa there. Of course, the real Santa will be busy elsewhere. Carriage rides will run on Fridays from 6 until 8:45 p.m. on December 3, 10, and 17 and on Saturdays during the same hours December 4, 11 and 18. Hayrides are set for 6 p.m. until folks stop coming on Fridays, December 3, 10, and 17. There is always plenty of information on all activities at TownOfForestCity.com or by calling 828-447-1730. Ray Pittman who spent 26 years working with the Downtown Merchants Association has lots of good memories, especially of Christmas parades. "For some people it will be as close to church as they will ever get," Pittman said of the annual parade, "And a lot of churches realize this is part of their outreach." He also said the activities, fl oats and marching units that come from "clubs, businesses, schools and churches really help to kick off the Christmas season. When Mayor Holland and his special guests throw the switch to light Main Street on Thanksgiving night, he will be renewing a tradition that goes back at least 93 years. According to a clipping from a 1928 newspaper, the lights ran from First Methodist Church to a car dealership in the west end. A city offi cial named Frank Dorsey was at the helm of the crew that ran the lights. Small pines were decorated along Main Street to complete the holiday cheer. Folks come from across the region to enjoy the special events and see the million lights along Main Street Forest City. Article Provided By: Pat Jobe Carriage rides through downtown Forest City create a festive feel for the Christmas season. They will take place across six nights from 6 p.m. until 8:45. December 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 and 18. All Friday and Saturday nights. W i s h i n g e v e r y o n e a v e r y H a p p y T h a n k s g i v i n g W i s h i n g e v e r y o n e a v e r y H a p p y T h a n k s g i v i n g It's Christmas Town It's Christmas Town Ray Pittman gave 26 years to the Downtown Merchants Association and has a warm place in his heart for the Forest City tradition that goes back many decades. Forest City Has Been Dressing Up For Decades

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