Come Friday Dec. 6 there may be a slight chill in the evening air, but the Downtown Goshen, Inc. Hometown Holiday community celebration provides enough joy and warmth to keep spirits high and faces smiling!
Hometown Holiday, Dec. 6 from 5 to 9 p.m., unites the Goshen and Elkhart County community in celebration of the holiday season. The event offers kids activities like free photos with Santa, shopping specials and in-store promotions—with an emphasis on affordable gifts under $30—and warm seasonal foods and drinks courtesy of participating Downtown Goshen eating and drinking establishments.
Hometown Holiday’s main event—the community tree lighting ceremony—provides the memorable opportunity to join hands, hearts, and voices with friends, loved ones, and neighbors to sing carols, light the community tree, and celebrate the holiday season and the contagious spirit of giving.
The community tree lighting commences at 6:30 p.m. on West Washington Street—don’t miss out on the fantastic Hometown Holiday community celebration!
Hometown Holiday offers a variety of shopping options, with participating retailers highlighting holiday promotions and affordable gifts under $30. The Green Bee—111 E. Washington—offers a $5 gift with the purchase of a $25 gift card and a ‘buy two get one FREE’ special on Swedish dishcloths. The ballroom at the Goshen Theater, 216 S. Main, hosts the Michiana Pottery Tour Holiday Sale, and the incomparable First Fridays Holiday Market, at 130 S. Main, presents shoppers with a unique assortment of holiday and seasonal wares.
Braly’s Barber Den, Fables Books, Found, Goshen Brewing Company, I M SHE, Maple City Market, Shirley’s Popcorn, Soapy Gnome, Woldruff’s Apparel, and Woldruff’s Footwear are among participating businesses highlighting gifts under $30. For the full list, and specific details, visit the Hometown Holiday Gifts Under $30 guide.
Participating downtown businesses present ‘make-a-gift’ crafting stations for the young and the young at heart and an array of additional activities. Shirley’s Popcorn, 106 N. Main, gives free cones of its Theatre Style Popcorn to all those who help decorate their tree. Simply bring in an ornament for Shirley’s tree from 5-9 p.m. and enjoy some of the best popcorn in the area on the house. Fables, 215 S. Main Street, hosts the annual Hometown Holiday favorite—free pictures with Santa—from 5-8 p.m. (Please note that these photos with Santa will be shared with families via social media. By agreeing to have your photo or your children’s photo taken, you release all likeness for public use.)
Additional Hometown Holiday kids activities
- ADEC, 114 E. Lincoln Avenue, offers a snow globe ornament-making session
- Art House, 216 S. Main (2nd floor), offers gift-making with youth art program Young at Art
- Fables Books presents bookmark making from 5-7 p.m.
- Cressy & Everett, 210-A S. Main, offers ornament making
- I M SHE, 121 S. Main, presents a “Snowman Soup” crafting session
- Phoenix Performing Arts, 213 S. Main, offers free Rudolph-themed holiday crafts for kids, free holiday treats, holiday-themed fairy hair tinsel, and program giveaways
- Anna Flora Co., Shirley’s Popcorn, The Green Bee, Soapy Gnome, Fables Books, Maple City Market, and I M SHE team up to present a wonderful holiday Scavenger Hunt for kids
The Goshen Theater provides post-caroling family entertainment at 7:30 p.m. with Wizards of Winter, a holiday rock event fit for the whole family, and Downtown Goshen’s great eating and drinking establishments offer seasonal delights, ciders, and other warm beverages. The Window, 223 S. Main, offers a homemade Salvadoran meal from 4:30 to 7 p.m. and an available assortment of holiday treats and Christmas cookies further ensure there’s no shortage of sweetness at the 2024 Hometown Holiday celebration.
Bring your family and friends, bring your holiday shopping lists, and bring an appetite for festivity, fun, and all the delicious holiday goodies you can handle. Feel the warmth and unity of the First Fridays Hometown Holiday celebration, Friday Dec. 6 from 5 to 9 in Downtown Goshen!
Hometown Holiday brings the community together to celebrate the holiday season with carols and a special tree lighting—beginning at 6:30 p.m.—on West Washington Street. The First Fridays Holiday Market offers seasonal and holiday gifts and wares made by local artisans, and an assortment of seasonal foods, sweets, and drinks are available at participating downtown eating and drinking establishments. Kids activities include free pictures with Santa, make-a-gift crafting sessions, and ornament making!