Despite a rainy forecast for Thursday, Victorian Christmas organizers say the show must go on. Event organizers have announced a revised plan for the Victorian Christmas celebration that will allow the event to go on as planned with some slight modifications.
"Ultimately, the safety of our community and our visitors is our highest concern,” said Lynn Williams, Executive Director for Economic Development & Communications. “We want everyone to enjoy Victorian Christmas and shop and dine with our downtown merchants, so plan to bring an umbrella and enjoy the festivities.”
Williams said that while the event will continue despite the rain, a few popular attractions will be moved due to the inclement weather. “Unfortunately, the rain makes our normal set up difficult,” she said. “To ensure a safe event, we have elected to relocate much of our entertainment inside the Municipal Building and Auditorium and throughout many of our downtown businesses.”
The Municipal Auditorium stage will host community performances by dance groups, choruses, and more. “The schedule for the Auditorium will remain the same,” said Madison Eaton, City of Thomasville events coordinator. “We know these groups have worked very hard to prepare for their performances, so they deserve to have a full house tonight,” said Eaton. “We are excited to see these groups perform as scheduled.”
If you're looking for St. Nick, he's been relocated to the ground floor of the Municipal Building. “St. Nick will be on-site to hear Christmas wishes from young and old,” said Eaton. “Visitors will also be able to enjoy children’s activities and live music throughout the Auditorium.” Stilt walkers will roam the building for photo ops, and entertainment will be located in the front lobby leading up to the auditorium. “We’re thrilled to announce that the live reindeer will still be on display despite the rain. The reindeer will be located in the fire bay of Fire Rescue Station 1, connected to the Municipal Building.”
Downtown shops and restaurants will be open for business as scheduled, with many hosting additional entertainment inside their businesses. “Many shops and restaurants will feature live entertainers inside their storefronts, helping to carry the festive atmosphere of tonight’s event,” said April Norton, City of Thomasville Main Street and Business Development Director. “These entertainers have prepared for our event, so we wanted to be sure they were able to perform. We appreciate our downtown merchants opening their doors, so be sure you stop by to enjoy these talented musicians.” Additional entertainment is featured tonight in the following locations:
- Todd and Marissa (keyboard & vocalist) – Ally B
- Vocalist Becca Stewart – Onward Reserve
- Stringonometry – Caroline Hill
- Salvation Army Band – Big Adventure Outfitters
- Keyboardist Anna Westcoat – Flourish
- Reesa Powell – Imagination Emporium
- Vocalist Christa Graham – At Home (on their Mezzanine level)
- Thomas County Central High School Jazz Band - The Plaza Restaurant
- Pianist - Smallcakes Cupcakery
- Thomas University Jazz Band - Grassroots Coffee
- Vocalist Georgia Smith - Kathy’s Shoes
- Pianist - Bloch Piano
Event organizers recommend visitors and shoppers come hungry! Many popular food vendors as well as downtown restaurants will be serving up delicacies throughout both the Municipal Building and downtown. “Many of these vendors are non-profits who look forward to this event all year. We encourage visitors to plan to dine in downtown this evening or grab a few treats to sample as you enjoy tonight’s event,” said Eaton.
"As of this morning, all of our Downtown businesses plan to move forward with their special Victorian Christmas extended hours,” said Norton. “This is a grand shopping and dining event for our Downtown businesses and they are eager for you to step inside their storefronts.” Any changes to the hours of operation for any downtown business will be posted to the Downtown Thomasville website, Thomasvillega.com, and on social media sites.
Victorian Christmas is a 33-year-old Thomasville tradition. “While we are never happy about inclement weather during an event, we are glad to be able to bring the community a modified version of the event to keep the traditions going,” said Williams. “The City of Thomasville would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to the citizens and visitors who support Victorian Christmas and help make this event a success, no matter where it is located.”
The changes announced today are for Thursday evening’s event only; weather decisions for Friday’s event will be made on Friday morning. “We are hoping to be able to host Victorian Christmas on the streets on Friday night,” said Williams. “We will be closely monitoring the weather conditions and will be posting updates to our social media pages as they arise.”
Victorian Christmas festivities will kick off at 6 p.m. and will wrap up at 9 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, December 12th and 13th. For more information, please contact the Thomasville Visitor’s Center at 229-228-7977 or visit www.thomasvillega.com.
