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Christmas Past: Schedule of events grows for ‘25 festival
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · December 04, 2024
A “Holiday Movie Magic” theme will highlight this year’s A Christmas Past festival.
From the Festival of Trees to the annual Elf Hunt to the new “Snowball Sprint,” organizers hope to encourage more holiday spirit by reminding visitors of some of their favorite Christmas movies.
A Christmas Past runs from 9 a.m. Friday, Dec. 6, through 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7.
The schedule includes events, activities, and displays in downtown all the way to 223 Vintage Co., the Hoover complex, Cubby Park, the Rummells Center, Wapsi Park, West Branch Fire Department, Bethany Lutheran, Friends Church, West Branch United Methodist Church, Town Hall, and a temporarily reopened Brick Arch Winery.
“It’s hard to believe it’s Christmas time,” Main Street West Branch Executive Director Jessi Simon said, with the city’s second-largest festival just a week after Thanksgiving.
The KCRG TV weather forecast shows high temperatures between 30 and 37 degrees and lows from 20 to 27, respectively, and no precipitation.
Yet the list of activities and displays and food offerings continues to grow. All of the popular, traditional elements “that people know and love” will return, she said.
“So they can expect to find photos with Santa, horse-drawn carriage and wagon rides, the trains, the Festival of Trees, and treats around the fire,” Simon said.
A two-kilometer race, the Snowball Sprint, highlights the new activities of the two-day festival.
Hosted by the City of West Branch Parks and Recreation Department, the race takes place at Cubby Park at 10 a.m. on Dec. 7. (See separate story for details.)
The event allows walk-up registration and participants are encouraged to dress as their favorite character from a Christmas-themed movie.
“If you’re a fair-weather participant, you can wait and see,” Simon smiled.
Festival of Trees
The Festival of Trees is on display at the Hoover Presidential Foundation and headed up by Dave and Deb Johnson with help from Tina Sullivan and other volunteers.
In an online post about the exhibit, the Johnsons said they both like The Polar Express among the Christmas movies.
Many of the ornaments are handmade.
“We have trees for all ages,” Dave told the Foundation. “We have some for older people, like It’s a Wonderful Life, Scrooge, and A Christmas Story. Some for 40-year-olds like Christmas Vacation and Home Alone. And some for kids like Disney.”
The Festival of Trees will remain on display through Dec. 30 during normal business hours except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Simon said that the Elf Hunt will include the elves holding movies. Some two dozen businesses will place elves on display and children can pick up forms at MSWB or West Branch Public Library, as well as online at mainstreetwestbranch.org/christmas. The elf hunt continues through Christmas.
“(It’s) a really fun theme,” she said. “There are holiday movies that all ages and all generations can identify and enjoy.”
Winery ideas
Simon said the owners of the Brick Arch Winery, Ilene Lande and John McNutt, agreed to reopen the building for the event.
The main floor will host pop-up shops, “to add to your downtown shopping experience,” she said.
“This is another opportunity to support small businesses and we encourage people to get out and shop,” Simon said. “We’re really excited ... to get back in that building and thinking about what they would like to see there, who they might know, who might be interested in a business opportunity there.”
MSWB will invite visitors to leave ideas on what kind of business could occupy that space or who they may know who could utilize it again.
“We’re excited to be back in that building and breathe some life into it for the holiday season,” she said.
Vendors will fill the space on Friday and Saturday nights.
On Saturday, shopping will be expanded upstairs for visitors before bringing the whole family.
MSWB organized three workshops: A winter centerpiece workshop with Iris & Ivy; a Cookie Decorating Class with SweetCakes by Paige; and Build Your Own Candy Sleigh with the Honey Den. Participants are asked to purchase tickets to ensure each workshop has enough materials.
“Come out and do some shopping and ring some cash registers to support our small businesses,” Simon said. “We’re excited to get people upstairs and utilize that whole space and give them another reason to come downtown and enjoy some unique holiday experiences.”
Gifts for children
Something for my Sibling, which replaced the North Pole Outlet in 2021, returns again to offer free Christmas presents for children to give to family members.
Hosted at Izzy’s Treasures by Heritage Square and the entrance to Hoover Park, the event runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday.
The back room of the store will be filled with donated gifts and volunteers help wrap them before the children leave.
Reservations allow skipping ahead in the line, but walk-ups are welcome.
The popular carriage rides filled up on Nov. 1, the first day they were offered, even though MSWB added an extra hour. However, the horse-drawn wagon rides will run from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Riders can climb aboard at Main and Second streets by the mural.
Scouts & Santa
Always popular, the Boy Scouts’ campfire doughnuts will be offered at 223 Vintage Co. from 5 to 8 p.m. both nights.
And Santa will appear at Town Hall for photographs from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday and 4 to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Before arriving at Town Hall, Santa will cross the street for the event kickoff at the Village Green, where visitors will find a historic sleigh decorated for the holiday.
Park Superintendent Pete Swisher and Mayor Roger Laughlin will speak briefly before St. Nick flips a switch to light up the sleigh. Carolers will sing traditional songs as well.
In addition to event coordinator MSWB, the event is put on by West Branch Parks & Recreation (Snowball Sprint), the Hoover Presidential Foundation (Festival of Trees), the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site (numerous activities), the West Branch Fire Department (Gibson Trains, hot dog roasting), the West Branch Lions Club (brick fireplaces), the West Branch Kiwanis (cookie kits with Santa).
Freebies
Brown’s West Branch and Liberty Communications will offer free hot cocoa at the Tasting Bar in the winery, 116 West Main St.; and Cornerstone Real Estate will do the same at its office, 109 East Main St.
“And, of course, all of our small businesses will be open late and have some great activities or promotions,” Simon said. “Staying open late to participate in the event is a pretty big ask for all of these small businesses, so it’s really awesome that they participate.”
Many businesses will offer “freebies,” too, she said.
“We hope that everybody is making a concentrated effort to support our local businesses, especially as the economy is challenging for them this year,” Simon said.
Gold sponsors for A Christmas Past include Brown’s West Branch car dealership and GreenState Credit Union. Silver sponsors include Casey’s General Store, Fidelity Bank, Hills Bank, Liberty Communications, and Marcy Willier/Urban Acres.
Silent auction
A Christmas Past will also feature another Silent Auction to help raise money for MSWB, and bidders may see items online at mainstreetwestbranch.org/christmas or 32auctions.com/mswb.
The auction runs through the end of the festival and visitors may also see the items in person at the Rummells Center.
Simon said the economic development organization hopes to raise $10,000. More than 100 items are up for auction.
“There’s a little bit of everything,” she said. “(The auction) helps us pay for Christmas Past and a little bit of our operational budget for the next year. It is a very key fundraiser for (our) mission.”
Simon encouraged visitors to check out mainstreetwestbranch.org schedule to plan their time. With so much on the schedule, one might not get to everything and need to prioritize.
Food & family
The Fa-La-La-La-Llamas will return to Heritage Square, the Heritage Museum will host an open house, the Lions will roast marshmallows for s’mores at Main and Downey streets, the Hoover Park will show “Christmas in Yellowstone,” Hoover Park will give live blacksmithing demonstrations at the blacksmith shop and provide holiday crafts in the Visitor Center, the Hoover Library and Museum will host Family Day; and an indoor Farmers’ Market will gather in the Rummells Center.
At Parkside Repair, 219 East Main, Springdale United Methodist Church will offer walking tacos and baked goods; at Bethany Lutheran Church, 235 South Second Street, visitors will find a cookie walk; West Branch United Methodist Church, 203 Downey Street, will host its annual Soup Supper while featuring a live nativity scene; WBUMC will also offer candy sales; the Friends Church, 116 Downey Street, will host a Christmas Sing-A-Long and provide bell choir music; and the Friends will also host a free community brunch.
The Big Begonias will perform at Hoover Fine Arts; West Branch High School choir students will sing carols at Hoover’s Birthplace Cottage and band students will perform holiday tunes at the Visitor Center.
Getting involved
A Christmas Past runs from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.
A map and full schedule may be found at mainstreetwestbranch.org/schedule.
Those wishing to volunteer may visit mainstreetwestbranch.org/christmas and scroll down to “Volunteer Sign-Up.”
At mainstreetwestbranch.org/christmas, visitors may also sign up for Something for My Sibling, workshops, the Snowball Sprint 2K, print a form for the Elf Hunt, and place bids for the silent auction.
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