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Merry Christmas

Home The City of Chester presentsChristmas in Chester 2011December 2nd December 4th Brought to you by the Chester Citizens Alliance Each December the City of Chester transforms for one weekend into a bustling Christmas scene. Hundreds come to this small town to experience a traditional holiday adorned with twinkling lights and Christmas greenery in the quaint historic City of Chester, South Carolina. The 2011 Christmas in Chester will be held the first weekend of December and admission is FREE to all. In addition, all childrens events are free of charge! Children's events include exciting activities like Breakfast with Santa, Tiny Tim's Cookie Shop, Santa's Workshop, and much more! You will also be entertained by local bands, choirs and praise teams at our concert on the hill! There will also be several quality artisans at our craft fair on the hill this year. With our craft fair and our quaint local shops and boutiques, you are sure to get all of your Christmas shopping finished at Christmas in Chester this year!Don't forget about our Festival of Lights! Each year the City of Chester is decorated with sparkling lights and displays making Chester the Prettiest Twinkling City on the Hill. This year our volunteers have raised even more funds so there will be even more lights then last year. Our lights will be switched on at our annual Christmas tree lighting and will sparkle throughout the month of December!Come Celebrate with Us!

Pictures by Bill Marion
Pictures by Bill Marion
Pictures by Bill Marion
Pictures by Bill Marion
Pictures by Bill Marion
Pictures by Bill Marion

Page 2 Friday, December 2ndAnnual Christmas Tree Lighting 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMOn Top of the Hill in Downtown ChesterChristmas Concert, Start of the Festival of Lights, Santa’s Arrival in Downtown Chester, Apple Cider, Hot Chocolate, and much, much more!Merchants Open for Business!Get your Christmas shopping kicked off by visiting some of our local merchants in Chester. Several of our downtown merchants will have specials and sales Friday night – be sure to check our website and Facebook page for a more specific list.Restaurants Ready to Serve!Enjoy dinner at one of our beautiful downtown restaurants! Come to Gene’s on Gadsden Street Friday night to try out some of their famous Jambalaya free of charge!Live Nativity Scene 6:00 PM to 8:00 PMChester ARP Church, 109 Wylie StreetChester’s ARP Church will have their annual live nativity scene in front of their church. This is a beautiful site that you will not want to miss seeing.Saturday, December 3rdBreakfast with Santa Claus 8:00 AM – 9:30 AMAnna’s Arbor, 129 Gadsden StreetReceive a free picture with Santa Claus from ESC Photography! Free breakfast for children under the age of 14 from McDonalds. Adults have the option of purchasing breakfast. Frosty’s Workshop 8:00 AM – 1:00 PMAnna's Arbor, 129 Gadsden StreetFrosty and some of Santa’s elves will help make children make special bags to carry all of the goodies that they get throughout the day at Christmas in Chester.Christmas Craft Fair 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMOn Main Street & Gadsden StreetGet a jump on your Christmas shopping at our Christmas Craft Fair. Local quality vendors will have everything for sale from monogrammed bags to hair bows and jewelry to wreaths and ornaments! You will not want to miss this!Story Time with Mrs. Claus 9:00 AM – 3:00 PMThe Chester County Library, 100 Center StreetMrs. Claus will read stories to good little boys and girls beginning at 9:00 AM and ending at 3:00 PM. Each child will receive a free book and candy cane at the end of their story time. Concert on the Hill 9:30 AM – 4:00 PMOn Main Street in front of the Christmas TreeEnjoy the sound of local bands and watch dance groups rock to the Christmas season. Our line-up includes the New Attitude Performing Arts Center, Bought By Blood Band, Chester Second Baptist Kids Band and Youth Band, Gethsemane Baptist Church Choir, the Saluda Street Church of God Praise Team and the Blackrock Baptist Church Choir! These groups are sure to get you in the Christmas spirit!Merchants Open for Business All Day!Get your Christmas shopping kicked off by visiting some of our local merchants in Chester. Several of our downtown merchants will have specials and sales Friday night – be sure to check our website and Facebook page for a more specific list.Restaurants Ready to Serve All Day!Enjoy lunch or dinner at one of our warm beautiful downtown restaurants or bring a chair and enjoy some of Chester’s finest restaurants that are located throughout the County. They will set up booths featuring some of their most popular menu choices.Chester Historical Society Historic Walking Tours 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM126 Gadsden StreetTake a free walking tour of Downtown Chester given by Bill Marion.Christmas Face Painting – Carolina Face Painting 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMOn Top of the HillGet your face painted in Christmas fashion by the professionals for only a small fee!Bingo with Santa 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM122 Main StreetCome play Bingo while Santa calls out the numbers! Winners get a Christmas Prize!Huggles the Clown Balloon Twisting 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMOn Top of the HillGive Huggles the Clown only a small tip and get a Christmas balloon to take home and enjoy all season long! It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser!Santa’s Workshop 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM137 Gadsden Street, Old Stiles Realty BuildingSanta’s elves will help children make a craft that they will be able to take home and give to someone special as a Christmas Gift.Chester County History Museum Tours 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM107 McAliley StreetFree tours of the Chester County History Museum!The Christmas Carousel 10:00 AM – 3:00 PMARP Church Parking LotEnjoy a ride on the Christmas Carousel free of charge!The Polar Express 10:00 AM – 3:00 PMARP Church Parking LotChristmas Train Rides free of charge for children!Santa’s Gingerbread Workshop 10:00 AM – 3:00 PMThe City Hall, 100 West End StreetSanta needs your help! He has 90 Gingerbread Houses that he needs decorated ASAP! The Gingerbread Houses will be judged with prizes going to the top three decorated gingerbread houses!Tiny Tim’s Cookie Shop 10:00 AM – 2:00 PMNew Chester Realty, 127 Gadsden StreetTiny Tim will give out free Christmas snacks to children at the New Chester Realty!Rudolph’s Wreath Shop 9:30 AM – 3:00 PMClemson Ext. Market Building, 116 Columbia StreetLearn to make your very own Christmas wreath (free classes – only pay a small fee for the materials) or purchase one made by Rudolph and his team.The Polar Express Puppet Show 10:00 AM – 2:00 PMBethel United Methodist Church, 101 York StreetTour the beautiful historic Bethel United Methodist Church and watch a puppet show of “The Polar Express” in the church sanctuary.Christmas Cards to the Community All Day!Local schools created giant wooden Christmas cards to the community. The cards will be spotlighted and displayed throughout downtown for the entire month! Live Nativity Scene 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMChester ARP Church, 109 Wylie StreetChester’s ARP Church will have their annual live nativity scene in front of their church. This is a beautiful site that you will not want to miss seeing.Rotary Club Dance Saturday EveningChester Memorial BuildingThe Rotary Club will have a Christmas dance Saturday night in the Memorial Building. Contact the Rotary Club for more information.Sunday, December 4th Arts Council of Chester County Holiday Home TourThe Arts Council will host their annual Holiday Home Tour on Sunday. For more information on how to purchase tickets for the home tour visit http://www.artschester.com/ or call 803-581-2030.Historic Church Tours 2:00 PM – 5:00 PMTour our lovely historic churches in downtown Chester. Watch the facebook page for a list of participating churches!Historic Carriage Rides 2:00 PM – 5:00 PMEnjoy a historic carriage tour through downtown Chester with Santa Claus!The Entire Month of DecemberDon’t forget about our Festival of Lights! Each year the City of Chester is decorated with sparkling lights and displays making Chester the Prettiest Twinkling City on the Hill. This year our volunteers have worked very hard to raise more funds so there will be even more lights then last year. The Christmas in Chester Lights Festival will sparkle throughout the month of December!
Page 3 The City of Chester Proudly PresentsThe Festival of LightsBrought to you by the Chester Citizens AllianceDecember 1, 2011 - January 1, 2012The small, quaint City of Chester, South Carolina that was founded in the late 1700s and is located half-way between two of the fastest growing cities in the Southeast, Charlotte, North Carolina and Columbia, South Carolina, comes alive in spectacular fashion each year as Christmas draws near with the Festival of Lights! Almost overnight, the small city is transformed into The Prettiest Little Sparkling City on the Hill . In 2009, Alvin Grant conceived the idea of using lights to decorate a few trees around the City of Chester. With the permission of City Council Mr. Grant met with Duke Power and worked with a group of citizens with which he formed a non-profit group called The Chester Citizens Alliance to install power lines and outlets directly to each tree that lined the City of Chester so that they could be strung with Christmas lights for the holiday season. Mr. Grant and the Chester Citizens Alliance, with the help of several local businesses, also purchased a brand new Christmas tree for the top of the hill for Christmas 2009.Christmas in Downtown Chester was such a success in 2009, that Mr. Grant wouldnt dare stop at one year! With the help of over 30 volunteers, Mr. Grant and the Chester Citizens Alliance raised over $40,000 through local businesses and citizens for Christmas in Chester 2010! That money provided funds that would bring to reality Mr. Grants dream of Chester being The Prettiest Little Sparkling City on the Hill for Christmas. With those funds, the Chester Citizens Alliance purchased over 12 giant light displays that adorned the City of Chester in 2010. Each tree lining the downtown streets of Chester was strung by professionals with Christmas lights and each merchant window was decorated in holiday fashion. The money also provided funds for the festival now dubbed Christmas in Chester. Christmas in Chester is a Christmas weekend of fun for children in Chester, South Carolina. All events at the Christmas in Chester weekend are free of charge! Events include the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, Breakfast with Santa (free breakfast and a free picture with Santa for each child), Santas workshop (children were able to make special crafts with Santas elves for someone special), Story Time with Mrs. Claus at the local Library, and much more! Our volunteers have been working very hard this year and Christmas in Chester 2011 is going to prove to be the best Christmas yet! We have several new light displays that will be installed for the Festival of Lights! We hope everyone will come out and stroll the streets of Chester or ride through the Prettiest Little Sparkling City on the Hill this year and remember all of the work that Alvin Grant and the Chester Citizens Alliance did to bring you this event! You will certainly be amazed and dazzled by the beauty of the city! We hope to carry on the tradition of Christmas in Chester and the Festival of Lights for years to come!Come Celebrate with Us!

page 4 Christmas in Chester Craft Fair Vendor InformationChristmas in Chester 2011 will host a Craft Fair. There will be no Craft Vendor charge this year. Tables/tents/covers and/or decorations must be provided by the craft vendors themselves. If weather permits, vendors will be stationed throughout Downtown on Main Street and Gadsden Street. In the case of rain or inclement weather, an indoor space will be provided for craft vendors. Vendors are encouraged to wear Dickens or Christmas attire. To be included as a vendor in the Christmas in Chester Craft Fair, each vendor must fill out the vendor form and Release and Indemnity form (links below) and return them by email to tiffany_wgpeople.com, by fax at 803.385.2735 or by mail to Christmas in Chester, 121 Gadsden Street, Chester, SC 29706. Craft Vendor forms must be received by November 1, 2011 to be included in the craft fair. If you have any questions or concerns, you may call Tiffany Thomasson at 803.581.3100.Thank you for participating in Christmas in Chester Craft Fair for 2011!

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Send us an email using the form below or call 888.436.2101 for additional information or to volunteer.

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