Downtown Georgetown Association hosts Christmas Stroll Festival on Dec. 2 and 3
The 41st annual Christmas Stroll is the first weekend in December in downtown Georgetown around the Courthouse Square. This free, family-friendly holiday festival sponsored by the Downtown Georgetown Association is 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3. See all the event details at TheGeorgetownSquare.com.
The Christmas Stroll on Saturday includes a parade at 10 a.m., live entertainment, and holiday shopping at more than 160 arts and crafts, clothing, and jewelry vendor booths as well as downtown merchants. The food court areas offer a variety of food items, including sweet and savory crepes, barbecue, hot chocolate, funnel cake, and other seasonal treats. Enjoy Santa’s Village on Saturday, including photos and visits with Santa from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the west side of the Williamson County Courthouse. Other photo opportunities include a large holiday snow globe.
The young and young at heart can visit the Country Wonderland featuring free activities including a four-station eurobungie jump, train ride, bounce houses, and other children’s activities on Seventh and Eighth streets. The event also includes street hockey, arcade basketball, and a Who hair salon and face painting. Princesses and superheroes from the Greater Austin Comic Con will also be available for photographs.
On Friday night come dance the night away at Groovin’ with the Grinch at 6 p.m. at Main and Sixth streets. Hill Country Kettle Korn will be providing free kettle corn for children during the event.
Stop by Bethlehem Village on Friday and Saturday to enjoy booths, displays, and performers in costume from the time of Jesus of Nazareth.
Parade at 10 a.m. Saturday
The Stroll parade starts at 10 a.m. Saturday. Georgetown Mayor Josh Schroeder will be the parade’s emcee and look for Santa as he makes his way through downtown. For safety reasons, the Georgetown Police Department asks that no candy or any objects be thrown from floats or participants in the parade.
If you come to the Stroll parade, please bring a toy for Blue Santa. New, unwrapped toys will be collected by Blue Santa Elves along the parade route, which travels along Church Street and Austin Avenue through the downtown Square. Blue Santa is a program of the Georgetown Police Department to provide toys to children in need in Georgetown. New, unwrapped toys also can be brought to donation barrels at many Georgetown locations. For donation barrel sites and more information, go to BlueSanta.Georgetown.org.
Free Event Parking
Parking is available at the Williamson County parking garage at Third and Rock streets, the lot at Seventh and Rock streets, Eighth and Martin Luther King Jr. streets, and the City parking lot on the west side of Austin Avenue at Fifth Street.
The City parking lot at Ninth and Main streets near the Grace Heritage Center will remain open Friday for parking for the Williamson County Tax Assessor-Collector office, and will be used as handicapped parking for the event starting Friday evening. Access to the lot will be through the entrance on 10th Street.
The parking lot at Sixth and Main streets will be closed on both days.
Street Closures
Austin Avenue will be closed from 6 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, until 1 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4, between Sixth and Ninth streets. The Austin Avenue closure will expand from Second to 11th streets on Saturday, Dec. 3, between 9 a.m. and noon to allow for the Stroll Parade. The Austin Avenue detour will be on Rock Street.
Main Street will be closed between Eighth and Ninth streets from 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1, until 1 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4.
Other streets around the Square will be closed starting at 6 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, through 1 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4. Street closures include Austin Avenue and Main Street from Sixth to 10th streets, Sixth Street from Austin Avenue to Church Street, Seventh and Eighth streets from Rock to Church streets, Ninth Street from Austin to Church streets, and 10th Street from Austin Avenue to the parking lot exit on 10th Street. Visit TheGeorgetownSquare.com for details.
More Information
Admission to Stroll is free. A donation of a new toy to Blue Santa or Brown Santa is appreciated.
The Stroll is a rain-or-shine event. In the event of severe weather conditions such as lightning or high winds, festival activities will be adjusted as warranted. Check the DGA Facebook page at facebook.com/GTXChristmasStroll for updates.
For more information, go to the Downtown Georgetown Association website at TheGeorgetownSquare.com. The Stroll is brought to you by the Downtown Georgetown Association with the support of the City of Georgetown.
