Winter Festival and Holiday Arts and Crafts Market

Unique shopping, good food, the annual tree-lighting ceremony, holiday entertainment and Lexington’s Christmas parade all await you the Friday after Thanksgiving in downtown Lexington.

Triangle Park at the corner of Broadway and Main Streets will be the site for the new Winter Festival and Holiday Arts & Crafts Market, 2-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27. Holiday entertainment will include: Lexington Vintage Dancers, Lexington Ballet and Raison D’Etra Folk Trio. The Lexington Singers will also be on hand to sing everyone’s favorite Christmas carols. In addition to the entertainment and Art & Craft vendors there will be seasonal food offerings such as hot chocolate, spiced cider, chili and BBQ.

The Christmas Parade begins at 5:30 p.m. and will travel Main Street from Midland to Broadway. When Santa arrives at Triangle Park he will help Mayor Jim Newberry light up downtown with thousands of sparkling lights.

After the tree-lighting, you can see the beautiful downtown decorations from a horse-drawn carriage. The 15-minute carriage rides, available from 7-10 p.m. on Nov. 27, Dec. 4, Dec. 11, and Dec.18, will carry passengers by Triangle Park, Phoenix Park, The Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Plaza and Cheapside Park. Rides will begin and end at Triangle Park.

Santa’s Mailboxes will be located in Triangle Park and Phoenix Park so letters to Santa can be dropped in any time during the festival or until Dec. 18. All letters to Santa will be express-delivered to the North Pole.

Major sponsors for the downtown festivities are Kentucky Utilities Co., Bluegrass Towing, Central Bank & Trust Co., M&M Sanitation, PNC Bank and Traditional Bank.