A month before the holidays, the Downtown Huntsville BIA is whipping up the festive spirit.
The Muskoka Market: Huntsville Holiday Edition is coming back for a second year, with four days of festive offerings.
“People are so excited. We did it last year right out of a pandemic, and our Diggin Downtown’ project with the road closure, and it was a really big success,” says Morgan Lonsdale, the BIA’s manager. “I’m hopeful this year will be just as big. Everyone’s really excited for it, the businesses but also the community. We’re getting a lot of good feedback.”
It kicks off Nov. 24, with a customer appreciation crawl from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with shoppers filling out stamp cards at participating businesses for a chance to win a gift prize from one. The same night, the BIA will light a Christmas tree in Kent Park at 6:00 p.m..
On the 25th, the Huntsville Santa Claus parade will roll through downtown. The jolly elf will also be at the market with Mrs. Claus on the other three days.
The market enters full swing on the 26th, with Main St. closing from Centre St. to Brunel Rd., as Muskoka’s vendors and carolers fill the downtown core from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.. Lonsdale says it’s a full slate of activities, with food, shopping, dancing, singalongs, and more.
Also on the 26th is the Holiday Restaurant Crawl, where live music will be played at several downtown restaurants from 5:00 p.m. onwards.
Lonsdale says the 27th is all about the kids, with vendors stocking $10-and-under gifts for children to buy for their loved ones, running 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. There will also be a trackless elf-driven train running up and down Main St. for kids to ride.
“Hosting four days of Christmas activity is kind of special, right? So we’re trying to make it quite a nice experience, whether you come the Friday or the Saturday, or more,” says Lonsdale. “There’s something different every day, which is why I think people maybe are more excited to come downtown.”