Visitors crowd downtown for ‘Shop Small Saturday,’ ‘Clinton Christmas Stroll’
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A young visitor hold the doll depicting the Baby Jesus in the live nativity scene in Hoskins Park on Market Street during last Saturday night’s “A Clinton Christmas Stroll” event. - G. Chambers Williams III
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Visitors line Market Street in downtown Clinton on Saturday evening, Nov. 26, for the annual “Christmas Stroll” event. - G. Chambers Williams III
Shoppers flooded downtown Clinton streets on Saturday (Nov. 26) for two events, “Shop Small Saturday,” designed to boost small businesses on the busiest holiday shopping weekend of the year, and “A Clinton Christmas Stroll,” which took place in the evening hours.
The evening event was crowded with parents and kids, as it included visits with Santa and Mrs. Clause in the Maude Brown Park, along with a living nativity scene and other activities across Market Street in the Hoskins Park area.
The Shop Small Saturday event focused on downtown businesses that were open and ready for Christmas shopping as an alternative to the big box stores and their Black Friday promotions the previous day.
From 5 to 9 p.m., Historic Downtown Clinton presented the Christmas Stroll event, held in conjunction with the ceremonial first lighting of Clinton’s Christmas tree for the holiday season.
During the evening event, several food trucks also were on hand doing a brisk business, including the Kona Ice vehicle – which shifted gears and went with hot cocoa rather than icy treats as the cool weather prevailed.
There was also a silent auction to benefit the Education Foundation.
The live nativity scene was presented by Bishopville Baptist Church, with church members portraying the characters representing the birth of Jesus.
Also on hand for the nativity scene were Paco the donkey and a sheep, together in a pen for petting. Caroling, cookies and cider, and kids’ crafts also were featured in Hoskins Park.