Christmas celebrations this week prior to Saturday parades

Christmas parades across the county are set for Saturday, Dec. 1, but the Christmas season begins even sooner as Main Street organizations in Clinton and Laurens hold their tree lighting ceremonies and highlight their downtown retail businesses.

Main Street Clinton will begin its celebration of “A Family Christmas” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29,, with its annual tree lighting ceremony, carriage rides and meetings with Santa.

The following evening, Main Street Laurens will hold “Christmas on the Square,” starting at  6 p.m. Friday night, Nov. 30, with its tree lighting in the corner pocket park and Santa will be there to chat with children, and downtown businesses will be open late in Clinton and Laurens on their respective evenings.

In addition, the Laurens County Veterans Administration is holding its Lights of Honor tree, with lights purchased to honor and remember veterans, and the ceremony is
at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30, next to the Historic Courthouse. It serves as a fundraiser for the county’s Hall of Heroes.

Then this Saturday, Dec. 1, Clinton, Laurens, Whitten Center and Gray Court will hold their annual Christmas parades, starting with Clinton’s parade at 10 a.m. and wrapping up with Laurens’ evening parade at 5 p.m. Whitten Center follows the Clinton parade at 1 p.m., and Gray Court’s parade will step off at 2:30 p.m.

Main Street Clinton will continue its carriage rides on Friday night, and Main Street Laurens will begin on Dec. 7 offering Little River Lights tours and hot cocoa the weekends of Dec. 7 and 8 and Dec. 14 and 15.

Following the busy first Christmas weekend, Bailey Manor in Clinton will again boast about 100 trees, wreaths and gingerbread houses at its annual Festival of Trees. The opening kickoff reception is Monday, Dec. 3, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. and the Christian retirement center is open for tours through Jan. 1, 2019.

Anyone needing more information on the various Christmas activities can contact Main Street Clinton Manager Adele Alducin at aalducin@cityofclintonsc.com, Main Street Laurens Director Jonathan Irick at mail@mainstreetlaurens.com and Pat McDonald at Bailey Manor at padamson@baileymanor.org.