Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas in Georgetown, KY

GEORGETOWN, Ky. - Oct. 26, 2017 - PRLog -- Unwrap the joys of a small-town Christmas this year. A parade and tree lighting in the heart of downtown, holiday musicals, candlelight tours, a reading of The Polar Express in a train car, shopping at locally-owned shops and boutiques and a festival with three miles of lights – Georgetown is pure small-town charm, especially during the holidays. Visit www.GeorgetownKy.com/Events to see all holiday activities.

Lights! Cameras! Festival!

The annual Southern Lights Holiday Festival (http://www.kyhorsepark.com/events/featured-events/southern-lights-holiday-festival) takes place Nov. 17-Dec. 31 at the Kentucky Horse Park. With three full miles of lights, this family-friendly festival has an eye-popping, selfie-worthy array of holiday displays. Drive through the lights, then enjoy park activities: local crafts, model trains and mini train rides, visits with Santa, pony and camel rides, an exotic petting zoo and more.

Regularly chosen as a Top 20 Event in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society, the festival is open 5:30-10:00 p.m. (except for Thanksgiving night and Dec. 24-31). Browse the

Kentucky Horse Park Gift Shop, see the Bluegrass Railroad Club Model Trains and enjoy a snack. Visit the website (http://www.kyhorsepark.com/events/featured-events/souther...) for ticket information.

Preceding the festival is Southern Lights Stroll (http://www.kyhorsepark.com/events/featured-events/souther...) on Thursday, Nov. 16, an evening when runners and walkers gather to help the Kentucky Horse Park set the holiday season in motion. See the holiday lights on foot during a competitive 5k and a stroll/walk. Mini train rides and refreshments are also part of the evening. Pre-registration is encouraged at https://runsignup.com/sls5k.

Christmas all aglow

Step inside Ward Hall (http://www.wardhall.net/), one of the nation's finest Greek Revival-style mansions, trimmed for the holidays and illuminated with dozens of candles. Learn the history of this 12,000-square-foot villa, built for $50,000 (which was paid in gold) and completed in 1857. Here, one of Kentucky's sauciest Southern belles, Sallie Ward, once held court, hosting lavish balls, amassing a fortune by marrying four millionaires and generally scandalizing polite society. Ward Hall Candlelight Tours take place Dec. 8-10 and 15-20.

No place like home for the holidays

Come "Home for the Holidays," on Dec. 2 when Georgetown/Scott County Tourism Commission presents its annual Christmas tree lighting and parade, activities and open houses. Picturesque with its Victorian streetscape and buildings – 200 are listed on the National Registry of Historic Places – downtown Georgetown will be decorated for the holidays and ready to welcome Santa during the parade.

Start or finish your holiday shopping at the one-of-a-kind locally-owned shops and boutiques lining Main Street: Georgetown Antique Mall; Heirlooms & Gretchen's stained glass studio;

Birdsong Quilting, Embroidery and Crafts; Adorabelles; Fine Art Editions Gallery & Press – featuring the works of world-famous equine photographer John Stephen Hockensmith – and so many more.

Holly-jolly Christmas entertainment

Georgetown Community Theatre (http://www.gctky.org/) stages "Elf Jr. The Musical," Dec. 1-3, at beautiful and historic Cardome Centre. Based on the beloved holiday film, this hilarious fish-out-of-water comedy follows Buddy the Elf in his quest to find his true identity. Purchase tickets at www.gctky.org/tickets.

The Actors Playhouse of Georgetown (http://www.actorsplayhousegeorgetown.com/) presents "The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus," Dec. 8-10. L. Frank Baum, the creator of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, transformed his Oz fairytale into a Broadway musical about the whimsical and mysterious origins of a very special baby. Raised by immortals in The Forest Of Burzee, the baby grows up to become the beloved Santa Claus. Purchase tickets at www.actorsplayhousegeorgetown.com/box-office.

Listen to a dramatic reading of The Polar Express on the Sadieville Train Car. The Scott County Public Library (http://scottpublib.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails?EventId=5286&backTo=Calendar&startDate=2017/12/01) invites all who truly believe to travel to the North Pole on the pages of this classic Christmas book on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 8 and 9. Enjoy this beautiful story and have your ticket punched by the train conductor; afterward, meet Santa and have cookies and cocoa.

There are four shows each evening, 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets are free and available from the library beginning at 1 p.m. on Nov. 26. Note: Train car does not move. Dress warmly and bring a blanket to sit on as seating is very limited.

Plan a holiday weekend in Georgetown. Overnight accommodations may be found at 14 brand name hotels and a dozen unique stays, including bed and breakfast inns, AirB&Bs and golf club apartments. For more information about Georgetown's holiday events, shopping and dining, visit www.GeorgetownKy.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Lori Saunders (mailto:Lori@GeorgetownKy.com), Executive Director
Georgetown/Scott County Tourism (http://www.georgetownky.com/)
502-863-2547

HI- and LOW-RES photos available.

ABOUT GEORGETOWN, KY (http://georgetownky.com/)|The birthplace of bourbon? Possibly. A small town bursting with charm in the midst of Kentucky Horse Country? Definitely. Though not your typical small town, Georgetown (http://georgetownky.com/) is the fastest-growing city in Kentucky and at the epicenter of one of the least known but most disputed claims in the state – that of the true birthplace of bourbon. Other best-kept secrets include the circa 1917 Rosenwald School; Steve Hockensmith Fine Art Gallery; and Heirlooms & Gretchen's, one of Kentucky's only authentic stained glass shops. Major attractions are Kentucky Horse Park; Toyota Motor Manufacturing Tour; Old Friends Retirement Thoroughbred Farm; the official Kentucky-Japan Friendship Garden, Yuko-En on the Elkhorn; and a busy, Victorian-era downtown with architectural charm and locally-owned shops, restaurants and craft breweries and distilleries; Ward Hall, a Greek Revival antebellum plantation mansion; and Whispering Woods Riding Stables. Fresh-air fun is found at four farms offering everything from fruit picking to hands-on tours to a fall festival. Accommodations include unique stays – from a former tavern to a cottage at a retired horse farm – plus two campgrounds and more than a dozen brand name chain hotels. Uncover the secrets of a small town in Georgetown. www.facebook.com/tourgeorgetown