During the holiday rush of trying to find the perfect gift, making sure the kids visit with Santa and just taking time to enjoy the season, the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, Main Street, and Fayette County Travel & Tourism encourage everyone to visit downtown Washington Court House every Thursday in December from 5 to 8 p.m. for the “December Mingle & Jingle.”
“One of the comments we hear and read regularly is that people would love to visit the stores downtown, but they are often closed by the time people get off work,” said Chamber president Whitney Gentry. “So we are working with the downtown merchants to bring lots of dining, shopping and holiday fun to Washington Court House once a week in the evenings.”
In addition to the stores being open from 5 to 8 p.m., there is also a weekly craft at Creative Court House, 143 N. Main St. Guests can drop in any time on a Thursday for a make-and-take craft. The cost is $10 for the supplies, except for the Dec. 22 craft which is $25.
Dec. 1 – Santa Wine Bottle
Dec. 8 – Ceramic Ornament
Dec. 15 – Sew a stocking
Dec. 22 – Snowman painting
Santa will also be part of the Thursday Mingle & Jingle nights. Each week, the jolly elf himself will be at a different downtown business. The first week is for four-legged kids, but after that parents and grandparents are encouraged to bring their little one and a camera to capture the special moment with Santa.
Dec. 1 – The Good Dog Groomery, 222 E. Court St.
*Pets only please. Donations to the Fayette County Humane Society will be accepted
Dec. 8 – Two Scoops of Sugar, 249 E. Court St.
Dec. 15 – W&W Dry Cleaning, 131 E. Court St.
Dec. 22 – Showplace Furniture, 153 W. Court St.
Chamber Ambassadors will be outside the businesses hosting Santa to pass out free hot chocolate, while supplies last, provided by Fayette County Travel & Tourism.
Practical Wellness, LLC, 118 W. Court St., will be offering a free 20-minute guided meditation on Inner Peace every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. to help find peace and balance during the busy holiday season.
“If half the U.S. employed population spent 50 dollars each month at a locally-owned, independent business, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue,” said Gentry. “We hope Fayette County residents will support our local merchants to do their part and support local business owners, not just downtown but throughout Fayette County.”
The list continues to grow, but participating stores that will be offering the extended hours right now are: Back-en-Thyme Flower & Gift Shop, BB’s Cakes & More, Creative Court House, Creative Designs by Denise, Knorr Family Treasures, North Shore Primitives, Practical Wellness, Reminisce Antiques, Simply Home , Showplace Furniture, Sweetwater Bay Boutique, The Good Dog Groomery, Trends on Court, True Blue Two Scoops of Sugar, and W&W Dry Cleaners. Dining establishments will also be open for dinner out or gift card purchases.
