Hannah Cole
December 1st, 2023
With the holiday season brings the celebration of the annual Christmas tree lighting on the main street. The street was filled with many people eagerly waiting for Santa to light the big tree in front of the Guy B. Woodward Museum. On the opposite side of the main live performances of young dancers and a band playing Christmas music helped amplify the Christmas spirit.
The giant Christmas tree towered above the hundreds of people gathered below. Santa helped light the tree at exactly 7 PM with the help of all the crowd excitedly counting down the seconds till the bright lights of the tree would be lit. Then almost magically snow blew through the air sweeping the crowd with the enchanted feeling we get from this time of year.
Children walked through all the shops searching for the iconic elf cutouts hidden in the stores as a part of the Elf Scavenger Hunt. When all of the 19 hidden elves were found they could turn their scavenger sheets in for a prize. This annual tradition brought smiles to many kids' faces as they carefully scanned shelves looking for the red and green elf.
This Christmas tree lighting the Chamber of Commerce hosted 45 street vendors which spanned from cotton candy stands to freeze dried snacks. Meanwhile the Ramona Junior Chamber of Commerce club sold popcorn and played holiday movies which many people enjoyed. People watched joyfully as their favorite characters moved across the projector screen.
“My favorite part about the Christmas tree lighting is seeing everyone come together and make the event happen.” says Joleen Sparks, the owner of The Rusted Poppy on Main. Her shop displays handmade ornaments and other Christmas decorations in the western styled boutique. Small businesses are a huge part of the community in Ramona and events like Christmas tree lighting really impacts them in the best way. The influx of people flowing from shop to shop looking at all the beautifully decorated shops doing holiday shopping for their loved ones helps our businesses in Ramona.
Another key part of every event on Main Street is the classic car show where people walk in between the polished cars and admire them. With everything from a beautiful blue bronco to semi trucks the car scene makes up a lot of the tradition of Christmas tree lighting which we can look forward to for many years to come.
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