Santa Claus greets those waiting in line near the Riviera Theatre in Three Rivers during Saturday’s Christmas Around Town festivities.
By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
THREE RIVERS — It certainly felt like the holiday season in downtown Three Rivers last weekend, not just with the festivities, but also with the weather conditions.
The annual Christmas Around Town, held in downtown Friday and Saturday, Nov. 29-30, marked the beginning of the holiday season in the area with an array of activities for the whole family that have been a staple in the area for years.
Both days were seasonably chilly, with a bit of cold wind, snow flurries, and temperatures in the high 20s to low 30s, a factor that may have dinged turnout just a bit compared to last year’s event. However, interim DDA administrative assistant Angie Metty, who helped coordinate the festival, said she believed the event was still successful despite that.
“I think it went really well despite that the weather was not in our favor,” Metty said. “I do feel the attendance was down from last year, but families still came out to see Santa and do some local shopping.”
The festivities began on Friday night, Nov. 29, with the lighting of the downtown Christmas tree, which this year was an 18-foot artificial tree. While the snow was falling, live music was provided by the Three Rivers High School Aristocrats choir, while Mayor Tom Lowry did his annual reading of The Night Before Christmas flanked by Santa and Mrs. Claus.
“If you drive downtown at night, [the tree] is gorgeous. The light, it’s beautiful and wonderful and puts you in the festive Christmas spirit,” Metty said.
Following the tree lighting was a free holiday concert, featuring a number of local musicians, the second time such a concert has taken place the first night of Christmas Around Town, and the first since 2022. Featured performers included Mark Higgins, who also emceed the event, Grace Theisen and Carolyn Koebel, the Restoration Church Band, soloists from the Aristocrats, and ensembles from the Three Rivers High School Band program.
“We had [a concert] a couple of years ago, and it went really well, but last year we didn’t have one,” Metty said. “I think it was a good feeling to bring back the concert, and people enjoyed coming in. It’s a free holiday concert; who doesn’t love free concerts?”
Saturday was jam-packed full of activities. A number of downtown shops were open with special details throughout Christmas Around Town, including shops outside of the downtown block, such as Ridgeway Floral and Amaz’n Nutrition, and pop-up shops such as the Artisan Shop and the Three Rivers Artists Guild shop.
As is tradition, Santa Claus showed up right at noon at the Riviera Theatre to greet children and families waiting in line to see him, and then held court in the Riviera for pictures for the next few hours. Other family activities included a storybook stroll put on by the Three Rivers Public Library, a make-and-take arts and crafts workshop and face painting at the library, a gift-wrapping station at HG Real Estate, and a scavenger hunt at the different open shops, where if people could find all 12 characters from the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer movie, they could win a $25 gift card to Lowry’s Books.
“The kids had to fill out the whole card in order to win a $25 gift card to Lowry’s Books,” Metty said. “We’re trying to get people to shop small, shop local.”
Metty said the library’s arts and crafts workshop was also a soft opening of their new Makerspace, and the station was a hit with families.
“That was a hit; they still had people there, when I went over at 3:15, they still had a lot of kids participating and making their crafts. It’s a great little space, it’s really nice,” Metty said.
Carriage rides were also available for free both Friday night and Saturday, although Metty said the route needed to be changed midway through Saturday due to traction issues with the carriage on East Michigan Avenue. The route subsequently changed to go down Portage Avenue and Prutzman Street, then come back south down Main Street.
Elsewhere on Main Street, Swiss Valley provided hot cocoa, while the Three Rivers Fire Department collected donations for their Firefighters for Santa campaign during the event.
Metty, who is currently a finalist for being the new DDA director, said that collaborating with the businesses to put together the entire event was a good experience for her.
“It was fun trying to get everyone on board with the fun,” Metty said.
Overall, Metty said while fewer people turned out this year, it was a successful Christmas Around Town this year.
“I think the event went well despite the weather,” Metty said.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
