Communities and businesses have been preparing for the holiday season to both Thayne and Afton with lighting events this month. Residents can enjoy decorated displays, participate in activities, and celebrate the beginning of the season.

Afton:

Afton’s annual Light Up Main Street holiday decor contest is open for businesses to adorn storefronts and windows with festive decorations to earn bragging rights.

This is the third year for the contest. Organizer Paige Alise with the Afton Main Street Alliance said its become something businesses can plan and build on every year.

“I think the Light Up Main Street contest gives businesses that extra push to get their decor up in time for all the holiday events,” Alise said. “Since this is our third year hosting, businesses have come to expect it and can plan to add onto their displays to make them bigger and brighter each year.”

With main street decorated, organizers hope it will also encourage folks to spend more time downtown and support the local businesses during the holidays.

“Our goal is for downtown Afton to have that small town, Hallmark movie feel around the holidays,” Alise said. “We want to inspire residents and visitors to stop and shop downtown and patronize our local businesses. When downtown is lit up and cozy it makes you want to linger and enjoy it!”

Businesses are encouraged to register online using the entry form QR code and have their front windows and buildings decorated by November 20. Visitors are then invited to vote for their favorite display by scanning the QR code that will be posted in the businesses’ windows. Voting will be held from November 21 through December 12, with the winner announced on December 14.

Alise said there have been several memorable displays in previous years, including a Grinch-themed window at Hunter’s Furniture and a Charlie Brown scene painted by an artist at Swift Creek Trading.

“My real estate partner, Abby, and I had the opportunity to decorate one of the buildings we had listed for sale 2 years ago, which was a blast!” Alise said. “Afton Coffee co, The Giftery, and Rustic Rose Boutique are always decorated cute and Swift Creek Trading had an artist paint a Charlie Brown scene one year as well. There have been so many! I’m looking forward to this year.”

Thayne

Thayne’s Light Up Main event will be on November 30 with several family-focused activities and entertainment.

The town has hosted holiday lighting along the canal for several years, but has recently worked to expand the decorations throughout Main Street and encourage businesses to participate.

“This is my sixth year,” said Rebecca Hutchensen, who helps organize the event. “We just do it a little bit different now, but they have always had something on the canal where they light it up.”

One of the activities returning this year is floating lantern lighting. Last year was the first time the town included the lanterns, and organizers are preparing more this year after the turnout exceeded expectations.

“Last year was our first year,” Hutchensen said. “We only heard positive things, and the people that were on the canal said that it went really well. We needed more [lanterns], so we’re getting more.”

The public is invited to meet on the canal along Main Street by 5:40 p.m. to receive a lantern and have it ready for release by 6 p.m.

After the lighting, visitors can head to the Thayne Community Center for the Christmas Village, which will focus on activities for all ages. Activities listed for the evening include meeting Santa, a bakery, gift shop, craft station, book station, a Schwab Christmas Village, a Merry and Bright Room and teen games.

Hutchensen said much of the behind-the-scenes preparation goes into decorating the community center, which will be set up for the event and remain decorated into December.

The Christmas committee works with volunteers to prepare the building, with help from the school’s National Honor Society.

“We do it for that night when everybody can come back and see Santa, and then there’s other activities that night as well,” Hutchensen said.

A new addition this year will give children an opportunity to visit a Christmas Village display in the museum. The display belongs to the family of Terri Schwab and will be set up in her memory. Hutchensen said the family will help bring the pieces together so children can visit and enjoy it during the event.

The town is also hosting a  Christmas Village Business Tree Contest in the community center, giving local businesses an opportunity to decorate a tree and have their business name and logo displayed.

Hutchensen said the idea came from wanting to add more decorations to the large community center building while giving businesses another way to promote themselves.

“We just thought, wow, if we could get other people to come in and put some trees together, if they’re interested, and they could also advertise, that would just be a fun way for both of us just to have more decoration in the community center, and then give them an opportunity also just to have their name there too,” Hutchensen said.

Businesses can set up and decorate their trees during the week leading up to November 30. The trees will be showcased at the community center during the event, with business names and logos displayed as families visit the different activity stations. Businesses can pick up their trees after November 30 or leave them throughout December.

Those interested in participating or making a donation can contact Haile Merritt at 307-248-0690 or merritthaile9@gmail.com, or contact the Town of Thayne at 307-880-2667.

Residents can park at the community center and walk to the canal for the lantern lighting. Parking is also available along Main Street, but organizers ask visitors not to park directly along the canal.

Both Afton and Thayne are looking forward to bringing residents together and giving local businesses a chance to help make the holiday season a little brighter.

Editor’s note: If your community has plans for the holidays or upcoming months that you would like to share with SVI Media, please contact our office.