A holiday tradition will return to downtown Aiken on Thanksgiving weekend.
The Aiken Downtown Development Association's Holly Days will take place Nov. 29 and Dec. 6, 13 and 20.
Carla Cloud, the executive director of the downtown association, said her emphasis this year is on drawing out-of-town visitors to the popular Aiken event.
"We're spending our advertising out of the area to bring in more people," she said.
Each weekend, a variety of entertainers will be performing in front of downtown businesses.
The duo of Suzanne and Jim, who have performed at Holly Days a number of times, will return Nov. 29. Other special events on the opening day include kids' crafts at the Aiken Center for the Arts and pictures with Santa Claus.
On Dec. 6, the Williams Family, a gospel group, will perform, and the Aiken Civic Ballet will perform excerpts from The Nutcracker at 11 a.m. at the Aiken Center for the Arts.
Also, Joe Harrison Insurance will sponsor an event that includes a special visit from Santa Claus at the Newberry Street Festival Center. Details are still being worked out, Ms. Cloud said.
She is still looking for volunteer entertainment. So far, a middle school jazz band, a hand-bell group, some vocal soloists and choirs are in the lineup.
"It's a nice variety," she said.
Holly Days has been a part of downtown's Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations for at least 11 years, possibly more, she said.
It started off as A Holly Day, a one-day event with door prizes given to shoppers. It stayed that way for about three years before it was expanded to the four-Saturday format, with entertainment added.
In addition to the entertainment, there is a window-display contest.
The entertainment schedule has not been finalized, so the times of the Holly Days, especially the last two weekends, are in flux.
The Nov. 29 event will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information, call (803) 649-2221.
Reach Charmain Brackett at charmain.brackett@augustachronicle.com.
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