Christmas In Montrose, Merry Indeed!

This is my 12th Christmas season in Montrose and I have never experienced such excitement and thrill as I did on White Friday. I was working at Mountain Rose Gifts that day when someone said, “The snow trucks are here! You must go look!”

I grabbed my camera and walked quickly down the street. It was a surreal scene. The 2200 block of Honolulu was closed to traffic and a man was blowing snow onto the street from a large and loud hose connected to a big truck. People stopped dead in their tracks on the sidewalk and many more gathered, whipping out their phones and cameras. It was so exciting and that was just the beginning. We all watched as 20 tons of snow filled the street. Then it was time to make snowballs and play.

And play they did, adults and children alike. When has there ever been snow right smack in the middle of Honolulu Avenue?

And it gets even better! Friday evening, when the sun went down, our new Christmas tree was lit along with the town before our very eyes. If that weren’t enough, snow began falling!

I will never forget sitting in front of Faye’s and looking up to see snowflakes illuminated by our old fashioned street lamps. I felt transported to a Christmas village from long ago. It was truly magical. I managed to capture this on film and posted the pics on our Montrose Shopping Park blog. You can see them at www.shopmontrose.com.

Malls and fancy centers spend lots of money trying to create what we have naturally in the Montrose Shopping Park: three blocks of winding streets with millions of dazzling lights, and “one of a kind” stores and cafes in an environment of family, friends and neighbors.

You can experience this same thrill when you attend our 35th Annual Christmas Parade this Saturday, Dec. 3 at 6 pm. The Montrose Shopping Park merchants, who paid for the fabulous White Friday event, are also a major contributor to this parade. We do it for you.

If you appreciate these things please show your thanks by shopping and dining locally. My first customer the day after White Friday said, “I am here to say ‘thanks’ by choosing to shop in your store.” It made me feel so special and I’m sure all of our merchants could use your support at this time.

There is a growing movement to shop local. It is what this country was founded on and is in jeopardy of going away. You can change this. Our stores are waiting and ready with free parking, gift wrap, and customer service.

Where else can you go where they know your name?