James Coburn
EDMOND — Nothing was brighter than downtown Edmond Thursday night except the eyes of children making memories to last a lifetime at the Downtown Edmond Christmas Celebration and Edmond Electric Parade of Lights.
Families cheered as Mayor Patrice Douglas led a countdown to the Mayor’s Tree Lighting at Festival Market Place Plaza.
“I think this is great fun,” Douglas said.
The festive Christmas parade made its return to Edmond for the first time since DEBA sponsored the event in 2003. Edmond’s Christmas celebration is sponsored by Edmond Parks and Recreation, Edmond Electric and the Downtown Edmond Business Association (DEBA).
“Everything that Santa can think of,” is what 6-year-old Noah Dougherty said he wants for Christmas. Noah kept his stepfather Jack Ritter’s ears warm as he sat on his shoulders to watch the Mayor’s Tree Lighting and Essay Contest for school children.
Douglas said each of the school children worked hard on their essays.
“I know that you spent a lot of time writing these essays. I know that you worked really hard on them and you had your parents look over them for you. I know your teachers were excited when they saw the kind of work you did,” Douglas said. “I just want you to know how proud we are to have you here and to have such great writers in the City of Edmond.”
Charles Haskell Elementary first-grader Dillon Tharp read his first-place Christmas essay to a crowd bundled up in the cold. The essay was about a friend who lives in California.
“I would like to give him a plane ticket so he can go see his mother,” Dillon said amid applause.
DEBA presents “A Dickens of A Christmas” and “Dickens Weekend” through Sunday. Sterling’s business owner David Spannagel was one of several merchants dressed in Victorian attire. Increased traffic brought a lot of new faces to his interior design store, he said.
Holiday shoppers will hear the voices of Christmas carolers downtown this Saturday from 1-4 p.m.
The downtown merchants are collecting children’s toys, gloves, hats and scarves for the HOPE Center. Collection boxes will be in most of the downtown merchants’ stores through Dec. 11. Dec. 7-24, downtown Edmond stores will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Sunday 1-5 p.m.
jcoburn@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 114
