The Shadow
HOLIDAY FESTIVITIES — Numerous holiday festivities are planned for Clifton Forge. They begin on Friday, Nov. 21, with the lighting of the Christmas tree at town hall at 5:30 p.m. and continue throughout the holiday season. (Photo Courtesy Clifton Forge Main Street)
HOLIDAY FESTIVITIES — Numerous holiday festivities are planned for Clifton Forge. They begin on Friday, Nov. 21, with the lighting of the Christmas tree at town hall at 5:30 p.m. and continue throughout the holiday season. (Photo Courtesy Clifton Forge Main Street)
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By Debby Faulkenbury
CLIFTON FORGE — Clifton Forge has several activities planned for the upcoming Christmas holiday season and we invite the Highlands community to join us for the fun and excitement.
Friday, Nov. 21, at 5:30 p.m., we will begin our community celebrations with an official lighting of the town Christmas tree at town hall.
The Clifton Middle School Choristers, under the direction of Kathy Crutchfield, will present a holiday program and the Selma Epworth Methodist Church Children’s Bell Choir, under the direction of Tonya Wrenn and Charlotte Taylor, will play Holiday selections.
In addition to music, warm cider and cookies will be served during the ceremony.
Call Clifton Forge Main Street (540) 862-2000 for additional information about the tree lighting.
Also on Friday, Nov. 21 and Saturday, Nov. 22, Clifton Forge School of the Arts will host a German style KrisKindleMarkt in The Mill at the school. Hours for the Market will be 3 to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Raffles (artisan goods) will be available throughout the two days.
Authentic German two- and three-course dinners will be served Friday evening.
Featured at the market will be the works of area artisans offering lots of Christmas gift buying including everything from food, toy gifts, Christmas wreaths and trees, “Clifton Forge” gifts and numerous other items.
For more information about the KrisKindlMarkt, please call the school at (540) 862-7275.
Friday, Dec. 5, at 6:30 p.m., Clifton Forge Main Street Inc. will sponsor the 2014 “Oh Christmas Tree” Christmas Parade.
As in past years, the parade will begin at the intersection of Ridgeway and Roxbury streets and continue down Ridgeway Street through the historic district to the Clifton Forge Fire Station on D Street.
Mott Atherholt, president of Clifton Forge Main Street Inc., said a special award will be presented to the float that features decorations which best exemplify the “Oh Christmas Tree” theme.
On Saturday, Dec. 6, the Clifton Forge Woman’s Club will sponsor its sixth annual holiday home tour.
The tour has been expanded this year to present a daylight and twilight tour with 11 locations featuring festive decorations.
The daylight tour will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the twilight tour will be from 5 to 7 p.m.
Refreshments will be available free of charge to tour ticket holders. Tickets will be $15 each to tour the homes and are available at the following venues: any Woman’s Club member, Club Car, Owen’s Pharmacy, Country Garden Florist, Alleghany Highlands Arts & Crafts Center, The Tea Room, Old Forge Coffee Co., Vintage Bouquet, Main Street Shoppe and the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Tourism office.
The funds raised from this event are used to support various community projects throughout the year.
Friday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 14, at 2 p.m., Masonic Theatre Productions will present “A Sanders Family Christmas,” at Clifton Middle School.
The sequel to Smoke on the Mountain, Sanders Family Christmas is a comedy with music which takes place in 1941 in Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant, N.C.
Using the audience as its congregation, the play presents a gospel sing, and uses 28 standard Christmas carols and gospel songs.
The play takes place in the sanctuary of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, located just west of Hickory, N.C., near the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is Wednesday night, Dec. 24, 1941, 18 days after Pearl Harbor and FDR’s declaration of war.
Though the war machine had been gaining momentum in the U.S. for several years, the direct involvement in battle at Christmastime has brought family members from far and wide for what might be their last holiday together.
The play will feature local actors and actresses in a delightful production and will be presented at Clifton Forge Middle School.
Tickets are $5 each or $20 for a family of two adults and three or more children.
Tickets are available at Club Car, The Tea Room, Jack Mason’s Tavern, Vintage Bouquet, and Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Tourism office.
Visit www.historicmas-onictheatre.com. for further details.
Throughout the holiday season Clifton Forge Main Street Inc. invites you to stroll through our historic downtown business district where, in keeping with our “Oh Christmas Tree” parade theme, we will be featuring more than 30 individually decorated and illuminated Christmas trees created by Mountain View Elementary School and Sharon Elementary School students.
“The Doors of Clifton Forge” will also be on display throughout the historic district.
Businesses will each have a personally decorated wreath hanging on the front door of their business. We know you will enjoy viewing all of these very unique holiday decorations while browsing through the shops, and please, don’t forget to shop local. See you there.
