The holiday parade, a luncheon with Santa, a tree lighting and the arts will help make this holiday special in town.
As many local home and business owners begin putting up their festive decorations, it’s beginning to look a lot like the holiday season in Moorestown. Helping guide residents through this cheerful time of the year, there are a number of events taking place over the next few weeks.
First, the Moorestown Lions Club will hold its 56th Annual Holiday Parade on Saturday, Dec. 3. The parade will begin at noon at the corner of Chester and Central avenues, traveling north to Main Street. It will then travel south on Main Street until it reaches Church Street and the reviewing stand, where it will proceed south to Memorial Field.
The parade will include performances by string bands, bag pipers, the Moorestown High School Band and the Liberty Band. In addition, there will be marching units and floats, with the theme of this year’s parade being “Famous Books.”
To register and secure further information, contact parade Chairman Peter R. Thorndike during the day at (856) 795–1090 or in the evening at (856) 234–7345.
Additionally, ’tis the season for the Santa to start making his rounds across the country. In Moorestown, the same day at the holiday parade, Santa will be making a stop at the 10th Annual Luncheon with Santa in the Our Lady of Good Counsel School Cafeteria, located at 23 Prospect St.
Hosted by the Knights of Columbus, Moorestown Council №1082, the event will run from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., immediately after the holiday parade. The luncheon will be held rain or shine, even if the holiday parade is cancelled due to inclement weather. All community members are welcome, and the cost of the event will be $5 per person for AllUCanEat, not exceeding $20 per family.
The lunch itself will include hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, potato chips, juice, soda, water, coffee, desserts and more. In addition, each child visiting Santa will have the opportunity to have a photograph taken and will be given a candy cane.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a camera or camera-enabled smartphone for pictures free of charge, but the Knights of Columbus will also have a staff member present with a camera. Photos taken by the staff member will be emailed free of charge to the parent/guardian.
“It is a fun and joyful atmosphere for the children to have a cheap lunch and see Santa following the parade,” the event’s organizer, Greg Klint, a member of the Knights of Columbus since 2010, said. “My favorite part of the event is seeing the little children look with awe and wonder on the figure of Santa Claus.”
For more information, contact Klint at (609) 556-8505 or at klintgregory@gmail.com.
Also taking place right after the Lions Holiday Parade, the MoorArts Holiday Arts Festival will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the 3rd Floor of the Church Street Recreation Center. Supported by the Moorestown Parks and Recreation Department, student art work, ranging from paintings and sketches to sculpture and photography will be selected from K-12 art classes in the Moorestown Township Public Schools, and presented to the public at this traditional seasonal event. While admiring the art exhibit, festival goers will be treated to an exciting lineup of live musical entertainment performed by middle and elementary school students as they perform seasonal and original musical numbers.
The Holiday Arts Festival is free, but for a small fee, children are also invited to take part in holiday craft-making activities. Face painting will also be offered at no charge, and light snacks will also be on sale to keep spirits bright.
“We have so many wonderful young artists and performers in our community, and this event gives them the chance to share their talents in a public venue,” Candace Colorman, MoorArts communications trustee, said. “You see the pride and excitement in these youngsters’ eyes as they point to their work on display or step up to the microphone. It’s a rewarding experience for everyone who participates and attends.”
The day after the Arts Festival, on Sunday, Dec. 4, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., residents are invited to celebrate the Advent season at the First United Methodist Church, located on Camden and Pleasant Valley avenues at the Community-Sing of Handel’s Messiah for the 35th consecutive year. The event will be under the direction of Glenn Rodgers, organist and director of music at the First United Methodist Church. Accompanying on the organ will be Joseph Russell.
The program will be held in the church sanctuary and will have a break for an intermission when light refreshments will be served. The event will end at approximately 8 p.m. with the “Hallelujah Chorus.” Individuals may bring a music score or purchase one at the door at a cost of $8.50.
The Community-Sing of Messiah attracts singer and listeners from nearby communities. There will not be any rehearsals before the event, and there are no featured choirs or soloists, making this particular Messiah-Sing unique.
Everyone will be seated together with others who sing the same vocal part — soprano, alto, tenor or bass — and the solo numbers are sung by the entire vocal section, thus giving everybody the chance to sing a solo. Even though the primary intent of a Messiah-Sing is for those who come to sing, there have been those who have just come to listen and sit in the middle of a choir of a few hundred singers.
After the busy weekend, the Town Crier will ring the bell in the front lawn of the Moorestown Community House as it hosts the 4th Annual Tree Lighting Celebration on Monday, Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m.
The tree lighting itself will be at 6:15 p.m., but attendees are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy musical entertainment from the Philly Pops and the Moorestown Madrigals, hot chocolate from Brandywine Senior Living, cookies and water from Wegmans and candy canes compliments of the staff and Board of Trustees. There will also be a visit from Santa.
“The Tree Lighting Celebration symbolizes our strength and spirit as a community, and we are excited to join together again to celebrate the season,” Caryn Lynch, the Community House’s new executive director, said. “This year, as we near completion of the fire restoration, we are especially grateful for all of the support from our wonderful community.”
Next, on Thursday, Dec. 8, the Moorestown Mall will be hosting a Holiday VIP Sip and Shop event from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. This one-night-only evening will boast in-store events, exclusive Santa photo packages and free gift cards to the first 50 shoppers who RSVP and attend.
Lastly, community members are welcome to attend the Perkins Center for the Arts’ Pottery Associates Holiday Show and Sale from Friday, Dec. 9 to Saturday, Dec. 17 in the galleries at Perkins Center. Participating potters are members of the Associates Program at Perkins, and it is a great opportunity for people to see and have the chance to purchase a wide variety of high-quality functional and decorative ceramics created right here in town. There will be everything from whimsical teapots, organic wood-fired ware, functional pieces and narrative pots.
