Christmas in the Briar Patch & Small Business Saturday

HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT!!! Parade entries will now be accepted through Monday, Nov. 25th! Get your application in TODAY!

Overview of the day's events:

• ALL DAY: shop & eat at all the wonderful places downtowvendorsn
• 12pm - 6pm: Live entertainment throughout the day on the courthouse steps
• 12pm - 6pm: Vendors set up on the courthouse lawn for shopping! See our list of vendors.
• 4pm: Christmas parade begins (see the parade application for the route)
• At the end of the parade, meet with Santa and Mrs. Claus on the courthouse lawn for pictures in our holiday gazebo
• Keep the fun going by heading to Barrel 118 (118 N Jefferson St.) for the afterparty, where Santa, Mrs. Claus and the Grinch will be hanging out
• South Pole Trolley rides begin at 6pm, and run hourly at 6, 7 and 8pm. You MUST register for a seat by 11/22/19; purchase instructions are below

SHOPPING & EATING

Kick off the holiday season in style with our wonderful downtown Eatonton merchants and restaurants! Support Small Business Saturday by purchasing some holiday gifts (or something for yourself!) and nosh at your favorite eatery. Check out our seasonal vendors with wares, experiences, goods and treats after lunch and before the parade.  Would you like to be a vendor? Here's the application.

PARADE

As for the parade, while it's fun to be a bystander, it's even MORE fun to be a participant! We are looking for individuals, families, businesses, government officials and entities, schools, non-profits, golf carts, classic and muscle cars, horses and riders, and MORE to participate in the parade. Entries will be judged and awards made prior to the parade so everyone can celebrate with you in your victory. To join the parade, download an application and submit it per the instructions in the packet. NOTE: Parade entries will now be accepted through Monday, Nov. 25th!

AFTER PARTY

After the parade you'll have the opportunity to get pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus in our holiday gazebo on the courthouse sqare. A quick walk down to the after party at Barrel 118 (located at 118-120 N. Jefferson Ave) ensures the fun continues, with cookies, crafts, Mr. and Mrs. Claus, the Grinch, and snacks and drinks (including adult beverages!) for sale. Cash only, please. 

Here's a flyer with all the details for the after party! A HUGE thank you to Outdoor-Options, who kindly donated the decorated gazebo for pictures! You can find them at 115 Gray Road in Eatonton.

SOUTH POLE EXPRESS TROLLEY RIDES (SATURDAY ONLY)

Board the South Pole Express for transportation to storytime. A friendly engineer will welcome you onboard with a few goodies you'll need for the evening, and a magical conductor will read the Polar Express while you drive around to see the holiday decor of Eatonton. 

The South Pole Express trolley will run on Saturday, November 30 and depart from Barrel 118 at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm. Tickets are $15, ages 2 and under go free. All tickets must be purchased by Friday, November 22 to have a reserved seat on the South Pole Express. Please email director@downtowneatonton.com or call 706-749-9150 with your preferred day and time to reserve your seats.

A HUGE thank you to Eatonton McDonalds for the free gift cards they're giving all our riders. The gift cards are good for a free small hot chocolate or small Mc Café beverage. Thank you, Eatonton McDonalds, for your sponsorship!

LOCAL DECORATIONS

We know it might be a little early, but we'd love it if homeowners and businesses located downtown and on the trolley route decorate so that the trolleys passing by on Saturday and Sunday nights have an array of beautiful decorations to view. Please have them on so passengers can enjoy the view as they pass your home or business!

The trolley route will be on the following streets: 

N. Madison Ave. Wayne St. Lafayette St. Church St. Hudson Rd. Godfrey Rd. Westminster Dr. Windsor Dr. W. Marion St.

S. Washington Ave. N. Jefferson Ave. Carriage Way. Dogwood Ln.