Downtown Dallas Offers Holiday Cheer

It’s time again for beautiful downtown Dallas to turn into Christmas Town, a magnificent winter wonderland with a schedule of jolly events for the whole family! “The events around Christmas Town feel a little surreal, like something you watch on a screen, but instead those are your hands covered in mittens, drinking hot chocolate, and watching your town transform into something a little bit magical,” says Downtown Manager Helen Connolly.

The downtown Christmas Town festivities officially kick off on Saturday, Dec. 7, with the parade and tree lighting. Staging begins on Dec. 4 with the delivery of the tree by Mountain View Tree Service, which the public is invited to watch. But the spectacular scene promises much more than that, with a massive effort from the local community to light up the whole square with holiday cheer! Sarah McMaster of Citizens Bank is organizing The Festival of Trees, which, in conjunction with The Dallas Arts Association and the Dallas Chamber of Commerce, invites local businesses to team up with nonprofits to design a unique tree theme for decoration and display either in their building or outside with solar lighting. They can also select items for an online auction to assist in fundraising. Cascade Home Center is providing pre-cut pallet trees to businesses who want to decorate their storefronts, and the fire department will hang an array of brilliantly lit snowflakes.

On tree-lighting day, the merrymaking begins with a holiday market version of the Dallas Farmers Market held inside Harvest Crossfit, with various food vendors available out front. At 5 p.m., the parade begins, with community partners joyfully marching through town with floats and vehicles adorned with loads of Christmas lights and yuletide decor. Keep your eye out for Santa Claus himself, provided by the KW Cornerstone Team, who will join the parade and be available afterward to visit the little ones.

The ceremonious tree lighting will take place from 6 to 6:15 p.m., followed by a performance of local school choirs caroling all your favorite holiday tunes! While waiting for a photo op with Santa, students from the Dallas High School Agriculture Career Technical Education Program, under the guidance of instructors Ryan Rowley and Danielle Bull, have created various Christmas displays and a photo opportunity board to capture all your family’s holiday memories for years to come!

But it’s not just downtown: the spectacular spirit of Christmas Town spreads all over the city with the fifth annual holiday home lights contest sponsored by the Dallas Oregon HomeSmart Realty Group. Participating homes must be within city limits. A map will be published starting on Dec. 14 so the community can enjoy and vote on some of the most uniquely and beautifully decorated homes in town! Votes are due Dec. 26; the winner will get a gift certificate and bragging rights. Also, keep your eyes peeled for a gnome hidden in Dallas; clues will be distributed through the Polk IO and the Christmas Town Facebook Page. Citizens Bank sponsors the contest, and the prize for finding the gnome is $500!

Christmas Town is a treasured event with a long list of sponsors that have extensively funded this incredible display of holiday cheer. “The whole month is special; it unites people in an atmosphere of exuberance and activities that bring out the best of us: celebration, goodwill, and being part of something positive,” Helen shares. “The comparison to a Hallmark movie has been made more than once and is fairly accurate.”

Please visit the “Christmas Town, Oregon” Facebook page for more information.