NSBNEWS.net and VolusiaNews.net provide 24/7 online-media coverage for a 21st-century world
NSBNEWS.net video by Sera Frederick.
The video was shot by NSBNEWS.net during the 2009 inaugural Christmas on Canal, which featured a towering and beautiful artificial Christmas tree, complete with lights. The courtesy photo shows Hedda the Heron, the mascot for Historic Canal Street Merchants Association, with calendars for sale with the mascot's likeness to help pay for local activities. The tree lighting starts at 6 p.m. and NSBNEWS.net will have full coverage of all of the festivities.
Editor's note: The following story was submitted by contributing writer Dale Smith:
NEW SMYRNA BEACH – The holiday season kicks off in earnest Friday as Canal Street transforms itself into the second annual Christmas on Canal Street extravaganza: Five days of activities the whole family will enjoy have been designed to bring people downtown for entertainment, shopping and dining. Event organizers say they’ve combined Friday’s Christmas caroling with Spark the Spirit night in hopes of attracting more people downtown.
.jpg)
NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick
Canal Street is lit up as shown in this photo taken a couple of weeks ago during testing of the holiday lights as shown from the west end of Canal looking east.
Cindy Jones, president of Historic Canal Street Merchants Association said having Christmas on Canal Street is all about having fun. “When you have fun, you succeed,” she said. “Success breeds success. That’s why we’re having a series of events over five days.” Christmas on Canal Street is sponsored by a number of merchants and organizations including the New Smyrna Beach Parks & Recreation Department, the Community Redevelopment Agency and the New Smyrna Beach Visitors Center.
The Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority gave $3,000 to the event organizers for out-of-area advertising and promotion. “We’re very grateful for the assistance,” Jones said. “Our merchants and sponsors have really stepped up this year to make this a reality.” Friday's lighting of the big Christmas tree, at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Canal Street, officially begins the holidays here.
The tree was purchased a year ago with money from the CRA at a cost of $9,000. The reusable, pre-lit tree caused a stir last year when some in the community questioned why the CRA donated that amount of money for a tree. City officials have said, however, that over the long run, the tree will pay for itself and will be a fixture for the annual downtown celebration for a decade or more.
The tree-lighting festivities start at 6 p.m. followed by old-fashioned Christmas caroling at 7 p.m.
Mayor Adam Barringer and City Commissioner James Hathaway will address the holiday crowd preceding the official lighting of the tree. Santa will personally light the tree with welcome remarks from Adele Aletti, president of the Merchants of Flagler Avenue. Jones said the success of the Flagler Avenue merchants has put New Smyrna Beach on the map, adding she has "“been a long-time supporter of Canal Street" who has been a "very good hard worker for all of us.”
Store front display judging and live entertainment will follow later. There will be four awards for best displays. Two will go to the best dressed buildings and two will go to those merchants with the best window display.
Merchants will have their stores open until 9 p.m. and Santa’s Place in Christmas Park at Canal Street and Live Oak will be a beehive of activity where the Jolly Old Elf will delight the children amid a fairy land of decorations. Canal Street will be transformed into a walking paradise for shoppers on Saturday, as blocks will be closed to vehicular traffic.
The Coastal Market will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with vendors taking over the street. Arts and crafts, food and more will keep merchants busy all day long. New this year is a kiddie train that will run all day adjacent to Christmas Park. Carriage rides will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cast members from The Little Theatre of New Smyrna Beach will be in holiday character and can be seen strolling up and down the street, each in different costumes of popular characters like Scrooge and the Sugar Plum Fairy.
“There will be around 20 actors participating,” Jones said.
On Wednesday, Dec. 1, it’s Girl’s Night Out featuring a fashion show starting at 7 p.m. Dinner and shopping begins on Canal Street at 5 p.m. The fashion show will be held in the Artist’s Workshop Room on the second floor of the Chamber of Commerce Building. Models for the show are courtesy of Applause Salon.
A tour of the city’s bed and breakfast inns will wind up the festivities on Dec. 12. The Night Swan on South Riverside Drive, The Riverview Hotel on Flagler Avenue and The Longboard Inn and Nuns and Roses, both on Washington Street, will have their historic homes open for tours from 2 to 4 p.m.
About the contributing writer:
.jpg)
Dale Smith is a resident of New Smyrna Beach, who has reported on local news in Volusia County since October 2009. His writing background includes a mix of journalism and public relations in several community newspapers and a p.r. firm in northern Virginia. He attended Barton Academy in Barton, Vt., and the Cambridge (Mass.) School of Broadcasting for radio & TV broadcasting.