Christmas in Crockett Festival Planning Bringing Changes, Growth
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT – With highs in the triple digits and no sign of rain or a break in the heat, Christmas seems a long, long way off. But even in these dog days of summer, Crockett Area Chamber of Commerce (CACC) and local residents are already working hard getting ready for the Christmas in Crockett Festival, due to be held Saturday, Nov. 18, the weekend before Thanksgiving.
The plan is set to be very similar to previous years, but with some important changes. The event attracts around 20,000 people to the Crockett downtown area each year, depending on the weather.
CACC Executive Director Liza Clark herds the troops together each year to bring vendors, locals and tourists all together for that one big day.
“The purpose of ‘Christmas in Crockett’ is to bring tourism and tourism dollars to our area. The more visitors we have come through our town, the more money that will trickle out and not only in our downtown area, but when tourists come in, they’re going to go out and visit other Houston County businesses and stay in our hotels,” Clark explained. “They spend money right here, and that’s what we want them to do.”
Even with the not-so-perfect weather last year, the event attracted 280 vendors, offering everything from fan-favorite festival foods to local cooks and their unique dishes, along with tons of rides, groups, churches, holiday wares and all the locally-made candles, soaps and clothing. Clark said vendor registration is already trending higher than previous years and hopes the number of vendors may reach 300.
The chamber partnered last year with Pastor Darryl Bennett and Eastgate Family Church who provided a church bus and driver to shuttle passengers between the Crockett Civic Center parking and downtown, which Clark hopes to continue, adding some of our other local churches to make sure all visitors can make their way downtown comfortably, with the churches receiving a booth in exchange and being able to share their ministry with festival-goers, too.
Many visitors come to the festival just for the food, which is understandable given the variety of exotic foods which has grown year-to-year. Clark and the chamber are looking to enhance that, giving the food vendors their own exclusive area.
“We’re really excited about creating a food area in front of the little park next to City Hall and dedicate that to our food vendors,” Clark explained. “We can move the crowded area off the square and get that down to a dedicated area just for people that come to the fair to eat. There will be a food pavilion with tables and chairs and we can have more space to sit and enjoy the food, with tables and restrooms all together. So we’re really looking forward to that.”
Economic studies have shown “Christmas in Crockett” brings in over $1.2 million dollars in its one-day run, leaving a strong impact on the local economy and local businesses.
The chamber encourages locals who would like to help, rent a booth, set up a business for the day to contact them so they can offer their goods to the thousands who will descend on the little Crockett square this November.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
