Kick off the holiday season downtown during the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority’s annual Holiday Celebration, to be held on Dec. 2 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
The event will feature the Christmas parade on East Main, Chili Town, holiday shopping, the Mockingbird’s Turf hayride in the Synovus Bank parking lot, the Santa photo booth and community stage performers.
The courthouse will host a full schedule of live performances from the local community beginning at 5:30. These include Cotton Rose School of Dance, Statesboro High School Drama Troupe, Bulloch County Elementary Schools Combined Chorus, Victorian Christmas Carolers, Southern Soarettes and Georgia Southern's Phi Mu Alpha fraternity.
The Christmas parade will begin at 5:30 p.m. A variety of decorative golf carts, tractors and classic cars will usher in Santa Claus from the courthouse to City Hall.
The highly anticipated chili cook-off in Statesboro Natural Gas’ Chili Town will include four categories that participants can compete in, including Overall Best Chili, Best Restaurant Chili, People’s Choice and Best Decorated Booth.
Set up for Chili Town begins at 3 p.m. in the parking lot across from City Hall at the corner of Oak and East Main streets. Judges will collect their samples at 5 p.m. Then Chili Town will be open to the public at 5:30 p.m. To vote in the People’s Choice category, tickets will be available for $1 and all proceeds benefit the Statesboro Humane Society.
Vendors will line the sidewalks and East Main Street. Everyone can shop from local artisans, food vendors and boutiques. All Fired Up will have their Winter Exhibition & Sale through8 p.m. and again on Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. They will sell one-of-a-kind ceramics, fine arts and jewelry.
Santa will be seated in his big chair at the Emma Kelly Theater lobby, available for selfies throughout the duration of the event.
“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the holiday season than with the community coming together and enjoying an evening of music, chili and shopping downtown,” said Allen Muldrew, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority.
The Development Authority would also like to thank the First Friday sponsors for 2022: American Roofing CORE Credit Union, Georgia Power, Colony Bank, East Georgia Center for Oral and Facial Surgery, Coca-Cola, Statesboro Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Southern Chiropractic & Wellness Center, Tormenta FC, McKeithen’s True Value. Party Impressions, McLendon Enterprises, Party Harbor, Morris Bank, Shoemaker Equipment Supply, Statesboro Properties and Vyve Broadband.
For more information on the event or to participate in Chili Town, contact the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority at (912) 764-7227 or visit statesborodowntown.com.