by S. Rotan Hale
With just days remaining in the countdown to Christmas countless area residents gathered downtown for the city’s annual Dickens of a Christmas. This year downtown was ablaze with three nights of holiday cheer that started December 5 with the City’s Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony that attracted hundreds of frost-bitten celebrants who despite the cold stood in awe as the giant tree on Salem Avenue in the Plaza behind the Market Building was lit.
The following weekend December 12 folks lined the streets for the annual Christmas Parade that snaked around Jefferson Street at Elm Avenue onto Campbell Ave. by Market Square and ended at Williamson Road. The yearly seasonal spectacle was alive with popular characters, colorful costumes, marching bands, unique classic cars and much more.
This 3-night celebration will conclude December 19 with the Roanoke Valley SPCA Pet Costume Contest that will also take place on Salem Ave. at the Plaza outside the Market Building.
This annual event, with all its dazzle, is one of the biggest of its kind in the area. Loaded with free activities for everyone, it has proven to be a true seasonal tradition that people of all ages look forward to at Christmas time here in the valley.
