A horse-wagon draped with garland, bows and twinkling lights clip-clopped along Broadway, a path lined with Christmas trees decorated by Granville Elementary School students who made the ornaments.
Children bundled tight against a chill wind beamed as they pulled their parents up close to a particular tree to show off their special ornaments and stand for photos.
Families seeking refuge from the wind ducked into a store to shop for presents or a restaurant for a warm meal.
Such scenes of the season played out across the Village of Granville on Saturday, Dec. 7, during the 39th Annual Christmas Candlelight Walking Tour.
Festive music filled the downtown churches and Denison University’s Swasey Chapel. The sound of kettle corn pop, pop, popping – and that mouth-watering smell filled the air along with the sweet fragrance of fresh donuts in the next stall on Broadway.
And restaurants and shops offered free cookies, hot chocolate or cider to the hundreds of shoppers who strolled through the village from 1-9 p.m. on Saturday.
“For me, my favorite part is just the joy,” said Elaine Boaz, a Granville resident for more than 30 years. She said the “sense of community and coming together to celebrate” is what brings her and her husband, Thor, back to the event year after year.
Steve Matheny, executive director of the Granville Area Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the event, said it was started by Granville churches as a “gift to families” of Granville, and it has grown each year since then, drawing thousands of people to Granville from across the region.
“I love it. I love Granville and the history,” said King. “It’s so pretty. They do a really great job.”
“I just enjoy the atmosphere,” said Downey. He turned towards Josie asking the young girl what her favorite part was. “Is it the horsies?” Downey asked.
“Yeah,” Josie exclaimed with a hop. Credit: Andrew Theophilus
“I just love seeing people so happy,” Montgomery said. “You know, like everyone just seems in really cheery moods. It’s just a nice thing to see when stuff is going on in the world, people can come out and have a cheerful day.” Credit: Andrew Theophilus
As a relatively new resident of Granville, Denison first-year student Fiona Burton said a stroll through the village dressed in its Christmas finest was a good break from preparing for final exams. “It brought me a nice break from studying and put me in the holiday spirit,” Burton said as she sipped apple cider she bought at one of the street stalls.
One of the highlights of the event was Granville’s version of a traditional European Christmas market. Vendors selling everything from fresh bread to honey, and pottery to jewelry filled Opera House Park on the southeast corner of Broadway and Main Street.
Among the vendors was 15-year-old Sophia McLemore, who sold her handcrafted jewelry – earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Inspired by her aunt during the COVID-19 lockdown, McLemore said she has been creating jewelry since 6th grade, and her passion for the craft has only grown in the years since then.
As darkness fell, the twinkling lights shone brighter and the cold air gripped tighter, so many visitors headed indoors to see the entries in the contest for the best gingerbread house at the Robbins Hunter Museum, or Santa at the library, or to listen to the First Presbyterian Church’s Angel Choir sing with Denison’s Hilltoppers and Ladies Night Out singing groups.
And some visitors made the trek up the hill to Denison’s Swasey Chapel for the Holiday Pops concert by the Denison orchestra.
It is the third year the orchestra has been part of the Candlelight Christmas Walk, and it’s well-received by both the Christmas Walk visitors and the student musicians.
“It’s a nice change of pace from some of the heavier music we have done this semester,” said Director Philip Rudd. “It’s something that the community looks forward to, and it’s a good way for the community to connect with the students.”
Andrew Theophilus contributed to this story.
Ellen Hansen writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.