Annual Holidays Downtown filled with cheer

Nov. 27—Families crowded Felix Square tonight to kick off this year's 'Holidays Downtown' lighting ceremony.

This year's event included live music from the Lutheran Church choir, sneak peek performances from this year's Nutcracker play set for December, carriage rides, a visit from Mr. And Mrs. Claus and concluded with a firework show.

Holidays downtown is held each year to bring the community together which the Downtown Association Board of Directors believes will help with revitalizing downtown St. Joseph.

"This is just a great time to see families and kids come out," Kim Jennings, President of the Downtown Association, said. "We want to get our downtown more revitalized and so, by doing events like this and bringing the community together I think it helps us gain traction."

Many local residents were thrilled for the holiday event to be back once again and said it was exciting to see visitors from other areas be a part of St. Joseph's popular event.

"Hundreds of people from all around the city and other towns come to join and be a part of the Downtown Holidays and it's great," Jason Hudson, a St. Joseph resident and film producer, said. "Santa Claus came rolling in on a nice, black Cadillac and he's walking in style as only Santa can do. There are also children lined up everywhere waiting to meet Santa one-on-one...it doesn't get better than that."

St. Joseph residents can look forward to spending time downtown every Saturday this holiday season as holidays downtown will be continuing for the next three Saturdays of December.

"It's good to see families be able to get out and do things with each other during the holidays," Jennings said. "It's not warm weather anymore so in this cold weather we like to get people out when we can."

For upcoming events happening in downtown St. Joseph, you can visit https://downtownstjoemo.com/.

Jenna Wilson can be reached at jenna.wilson@newspressnow.com.