The holiday season in El Dorado will officially kick off Thursday with the annual Downtown Holiday Lighting Ceremony.
Main Street El Dorado and the Downtown Business Association are looking to keep the community rolling in the yuletide spirit with a slew of events slated in the weeks leading up to Christmas, including a steak cookoff and a chance to win a $1,500 shopping spree.
Several of the events will carry the theme “Spirit of Christmas,” including the lighting ceremony, which will be packed with loads of family activities, starting at 5 p.m. with free rides on a horse and carriage and the PJ’s Holiday Express Train, Main Street board members said.
Other activities will begin at 5:30 p.m. on the Jefferson Avenue side of the Union County Courthouse.
The night will include holiday music, performances by local dance studios and the Silver Kickers, a Boomtown Opry preview show, free cocoa and hot, apple cider provided by the Salvation Army and the Murphy Arts District, respectively.
The ceremony will double as the kick-off of the Salvation Army’s 2018 Red Kettle Campaign. The annual holiday fundraiser follows a tradition with volunteers stationed outside various businesses throughout town with red kettles, into which donations may be deposited.
Beth Brumley, executive director of Main Street, said the grand marshals of the El Dorado Christmas Parade will also be announced during the ceremony. The Christmas parade is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 6.
Local radio personalities Bud Cross and Donnie T from Noalmark Broadcasting will emcee the ceremony. Special guest will be KTVE meteorologist Jerod Floyd, who will flip the switch to illuminate the holiday lights.
During a regular, monthly Main Street meeting Tuesday, board members said the lighting ceremony is a precursor of the other holiday events yet to come in El Dorado.
Brumley said Main Street partnered with several groups to keep the local holiday-events calendar filled and to increase foot traffic for downtown businesses.
Shopping spree
Main Street has teamed up with the Diamond Agency for the Golden Ticket Shopping Spree, in which one lucky winner will receive a grand prize of $1,500 worth of El Dorado Shopping vouchers to shop in downtown businesses, Timmin’s Hardware, South Arkansas Eye Clinic, Especially for You and the Newton and Washington avenue locations of Cole’s Jewelers.
Entry forms are available on page two of the El Dorado Insider 2018 Holiday Gift Guide and at participating locations, including Cole’s Jewelers, Especially for You, the Griffin Restaurant, Latest Wrinkle Boutique, Mina Rea’s Antiques, PJ’s Coffee, Shelly’s Shoes, South Arkansas Eye Clinic, Sports Alley, Taylor Jewelry and Design and Timmin’s Hardware.
People may also visit the Downtown El Dorado Facebook page to enter the contest.
Entries will be accepted from November 22 until Dec. 13.
Each week, Main Street will select three finalists for a chance to win the shopping spree, plus, one entry will be selected each Thursday for $125 in El Dorado Shopping vouchers.
Steaks and Bloody Marys
Set for Dec. 8 and 9 is the Spirit of Christmas Steak Cookoff. Main Street is teaming up with Hope Landing to host the Steak Cookoff Association-sanctioned event. JMS Transport is the sponsor.
A Bloody Mary-making competition will also be part of the cook-off.
Hope Landing will present Christmas on the Ranch at 3 p.m. Dec. 8. A Christmastime open house will include Santa, hot cocoa and cookies, “sleigh rides” around the ranch, a reindeer barn, crafts and more. The event is free and open to the public.
The steak cook-off is feted for the following day at 112 E. Elm.
There will also be live music, an Ugly Christmas Sweater contest and a mobile Escape Room.
The entry fee for the cook-off is $125 with a $1,000 cash payout to the first-prize winner. Other awards are $500 for second place; $400 for third; $300 for fourth; $200 for fifth; and $100 for sixth — 10th place winners.
Steak plates tickets will be available for sale for $20 in advance. Each plate will include a ribeye steak, baked potato salad, green beans, a roll, dessert and a drink. Steak plates will be distributed to the public from 1:30 until 2:30 p.m.
Setup for the cook-off will be from 7 until 9 a.m. Cooks will meet at 9 a.m., steaks are to be submitted to judges from noon until 12:30 p.m.
The entry fee is $25 for the Bloody Mary contest. Entries must be turned in between 10:15 and 10:30 a.m.
Cash prizes for the Bloody Mary Contest are $150 for first place; $100 for second; $50 for third; and $25 each for fourth- and fifth-place winners.
Jimmy Lewis and the 8 Second Ride will perform from 1 until 3 p.m. on the city’s Showtime stage at Washington and Elm.
The Ugly Christmas Sweater contest will begin at 2:30 p.m. There is no entry fee for the contest. Prizes for all contests will be awarded at 3 p.m.
A mobile escape room will also be available for $5 per entry. The game trend has grown in popularity in recent years in the U.S. If a participant fails to “escape” within allotted 10 minutes, they may try again for another $5, Brumley said.
Other holiday events
• Free horse-and-carriage and PJ’s Express rides will continue from 6 until 9 p.m. Friday and 1 until 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Free rides will also be offered during the Downtown Holiday Lighting Ceremony.
Paid rides will be offered each from 7 until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, weather permitting, throughout the holiday season. Prices are $8 for adults and $6 for children. Romantic carriage rides will cost $40.
• The Spirit of Christmas Holiday Open House on the Square is set from 1 until 4 p.m. Nov. 18. Free Downtown businesses will offer light refreshments for shoppers and downtown visitors will be able to take selfies with Santa at All About Flowers, 106 E. Elm.
Main Street will offer gift-wrapping services in the former Larry’s Rexall at the corner of Washington and Elm. Prices will vary depending on the size of the gift to be wrapped, Brumley said.
Downtown shoppers will also be able to enter a giveaway for two tickets to The Legendary Temptations Christmas concert, which is set for 8 p.m. Dec. 14 in the First Financial (MAD) Music Hall.
• Shop Small Saturday is set for Nov. 29. Local residents and visitors to El Dorado will be encouraged to support local, small businesses for their holiday shopping needs.
Also starting Nov. 29, downtown businesses will remain open until 7 p.m. each Thursday throughout the holiday season.
• The Cookies with Santa Experience will be held at 10 a.m. Dec. 2 at Main Street Pizza, 101 N. Jackson. Tickets are $5 per person and area available at Main Street Pizza, All About Flowers and Kai Sra or by calling the Main Street office at 870-862-4747. Tickets are limited.
Participants will bake cookies from scratch by mixing flour, rolling dough and eating. They will have a choice of aprons from which to choose and they will be able to take selfies with Santa.
Main Street board members said tickets are limited.
Private portrait sessions with Santa will also be available for $150, which includes a CD with a minimum of 12 high-resolution images. Parents may join in the private sessions. To sign up for “Santa and Me Portrait Sessions,” call Alamond Photography at 903-276-9099 or visit the Facebook page.
To enter the steak-cookoff, visit www.steakcookoffs.com or call the Main Street office. Also call the Main Street office and Hope Landing at 870-862-0500 to purchase tickets for steak plates.
Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at [email protected].