“Holiday at the Hall” returns to Old Town Lewisville
Friday, December 6, 2008

The sixth annual Holiday at the Hall festival will be held Saturday, Dec.
6, in Old Town Lewisville, featuring a wide range of free family events from 7 a.m. through 6 p.m.

Since its inception, this award-winning festival has grown into a fascinating winter wonderland of holiday ambiance and spirit of the season.
More than 15,000 people are expected to attend the celebration, which was named the best special event in the country in 2003 among cities with similar population by the City-County Communications and Marketing Association.

This year’s festival will include local favorites such as the Holiday Lights! Old Town Lighting, Old Town Holiday Stroll, Sam Pack’s Ford Country of Lewisville Christmas Parade down Main and Mill streets, live entertainment, strolling entertainment, visits with Santa Claus, the annual Motorcycle Toy Run and shopping in the Artists Alcove Holiday Market for hand-crafted items and specialized gifts.

The 2008 festival also will include the popular Polar Ice! Ice Carving Village, a chilly experience featuring some of the nation’s top ice sculpture artists as they compete to transform towers of huge ice blocks into amazing 12-foot-tall art sculptures made of solid ice. The competition, sanctioned by the National Ice Carving Association, is the only one of its kind in the southwest.

“Any family looking for a way to kick off the holiday season and really get into the festive spirit should attend this event in Old Town,” Mayor Gene Carey said.

Saturday’s slate of activities will begin with the popular Breakfast with Santa from 7 to 11 a.m. in Old Town. The Kiwanis Club will prepare a holiday feast of pancakes and sausage during their annual fundraising event at the festival. Breakfast with Santa activities will engage children in caroling and holiday art projects.

The 10th annual Motorcycle Toy Run will bring hundreds of bikers downtown to spread the holiday spirit by collecting toys for local charities. Riders will depart from Old Town at noon. Participants donate new toys as their entry fee. The toys will be collected by Toys For tots and distributed to Child Protective Services of Denton County, Christian Community Action and Friends of the Family. For information, please call 972.219.3560.

Live entertainment will begin along Main Street at 10 a.m., with two stages presenting local and regional acts while strolling performers add to the festive scene. Arts and craft booths and food vendors will be open along Main Street. Free carriage rides also will be available.

Polar Ice! Ice Carving Village opens at 10:30 a.m. on Charles Street.
Visitors will be able to vote for their favorite frosty artwork in the collection of ice-sculpting displays while enjoying a sight rarely found in the Sun Belt – towering works of carved ice lining the street.

The 2008 Sam Pack’s Ford Country Christmas Parade will go through the heart of Old Town Lewisville, beginning at the intersection of Cowan and Main streets at 3 p.m. and heading east on Main and then south on Mill before ending at Delay Middle School. Participants will assemble that morning on Cowan Street between Main and Purnell, with a festive atmosphere of music and fun. Past parade entries have included local favorites such as Lewisville High School band and drill team, local dance and martial arts academies, businesses, civic organizations, school groups, Scouts, equestrians, decorated vehicles, parade floats and more. Trophies will be awarded in three categories: Corporate/Business, Community/Non-Profit and Government/City.

After the parade, Santa Claus will meet with children in the Wayne Ferguson Plaza at Poydras and Main. Photo buttons will be available for children to commemorate their visit.

At 5:30 p.m., Mayor Gene Carey and Santa Claus will join forces for Holiday Lights! Old Town Lighting ceremony, flipping the switch to turn on the city’s Christmas tree and thousands of lights along Main and Church streets and on Lewisville City Hall.

The Old Town Stroll will highlight Main Street businesses from 4 to 6 p.m., with refreshments provided by participating local merchants. The Old Town Business Association will distribute Santa Shuffle cards for prize drawings to festival attendees who visit downtown businesses.

At 8 p.m., the Greater Lewisville Community Theatre, located on the south side of Main Street, will present “A Dickens’ Christmas Carol: A Traveling Travesty in Two Tumultuous Acts.” Tickets are available by calling the Greater Lewisville Community Theater, 972.221.7469.

Holiday at the Hall is being sponsored by the City of Lewisville and the Lewisville Convention and Visitors Bureau, EMC Mortgage Company, Pro-Tow, Saturn of Lewisville, Sam Pack’s Ford Country of Lewisville, The Home Depot and Waste Management.

For event information, call 972.219.3401 or visit www.cityoflewisville.com.

Media contact: Marketing and Events Manager Jennifer Galante, 972.219.3710