By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
The streets of downtown Bucyrus were aglow Thursday as shoppers and carolers alike took in the holiday cheer for the annual Candlelight Christmas.
Candlelight Christmas, the local holiday tradition in which stores in the downtown business district stay open a little later than normal while shoppers walk from business to business to do some Christmas shopping while the sidewalks have an extra light of Christmas lights and candles inside of milk jugs and paper bags.
Bucyrus City Council member Wanda Sharrock, who was enjoying the Candlelight Christmas with her daughter and granddaughter, explained why she enjoys coming out for Candlelight Christmas.
“It’s an annual event and it’s beautiful. Everybody comes downtown and it reminds me of the old days,” Sharrock said.
Linda Young was enjoying the evening shopping with Lt. Annie Buckley of the Bucyrus Salvation Army. Young explained what brought them out for the holiday shopping event.
“For me I just love it. I love the candles, the people, and the stores,” Young said.
Buckley explained that this was her second year participating in the Candlelight Christmas, and the first time that the Salvation Army has participated in the event since coming on board with the organization
“For me it is to be a part of something that is a tradition for Bucyrus,” Lt. Buckley said. “This is my second Candlelight Christmas and I loved it last year. This year we are actually taking part. We are down by Midwest Furniture. We have bell ringers out to be part of the event and we are handing out lollipops with our shield on them.”
One of the shops open for the Candlelight Christmas event was Norton’s Flowers. Sue Stander explained what arrangements were popular at the floral shop this year.
“We have made bows, and bows, and more bows. This is going to be a bow year,” Stander said. “We have made them for fences, lamp posts, Christmas trees, for benches outside. We have used a wide variety of materials from bright and shiny ribbon to ones that are velvet and traditional looking. A lot of pine arrangements have been going out the door this year, people think that I have pine candles or scents, but it is coming from the pine arrangements”
Businesses weren’t just confined to the inside of their shops. UB Dazzled featured some of their items for sale on the sidewalk. Pat Logsdon explained why they chose to participate in the event.
“Just like all the Chamber things it is nice to do all these things, there are a lot of people coming down and doing hot chocolate and cookies, and it is just a chance to get in the Christmas spirit,” Logsdon said.
Numerous organizations also took up shop along the sidewalks to pass out treats to keep the shoppers warm as they took in what Bucyrus has to offer. The Kiwanis Club offered chili the Woodlawn United Methodist Church offered cookies and hot cocoa, as well as the Bucyrus Outreach Network were offering cocoa and cookies as well as selling Christmas Cards. BORN’s Eliza Cole explained what brought them out to the event.
“We want to be a blessing to the community,” Cole said.
The event wasn’t just confined to shopping and eating cocoa and cookies, Christmas carolers travelled from business to business singing songs of good cheer, and the Bucyrus Public Library held a family craft workshop in which participants were able to take their crafty creation home with them.