The season-long event has quickly developed into a Hamilton staple.
“I love the Holly Jolly Hamilton season because of the diversity of offerings,” said Mallory Greenham, Hamilton’s assistant to the city manager. “From free things for the kids to do, fun ways to support local businesses, and special events that create long-lasting memories with your family and friends.”
Some of Holly Jolly Hamilton’s events had been traditions for years, such as the annual Christmas tree lighting at Marcum Park, which is a favorite of Mayor Pat Moeller. He hopes new traditions will carry on, like the inaugural Turkey Duck Drop that commemorated the famous “WKRP in Cincinnati” episode. He’s looking forward to this weekend’s Joy to the Wald and Illuminate Hamilton events, both happening on Saturday.
One event that appears to have no rival in the region is how Hamilton approached Small Business Saturday.
“For a lot of communities, Small Business Saturday is not that big of a deal,” Bates said. “In Hamilton, it continues to be huge.”
Some mom-and-pop retailers have said business on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, which draws a couple thousand to Hamilton shops on one day, rivals the business done during the three days of Operation Pumpkin, which draws 60,000 to the downtown over three days.
“And what that tells me is that these smaller events are really important,” Bates said.
But Santacon, which featured a 1K fun run, saw a few hundred people participate, and Bates said “there seems to be some really good interest, and that’s something I think we can grow (in 2024).”
New for Holly Jolly Hamilton is the Ugly Sweater Bar Crawl, which is also on Saturday (visit Hamilton-Ohio.com/Explore-Hamilton for tickets and details). It’s within the city’s DORA district, and extra points are awarded if the sweater is lit.
“I guess what we are learning is that anything that you can make an experience, and especially make it fun, is what people are looking for,” Bates said.
And that’s why the ornament crawl has been popular, Bates said, much to his surprise.
“Holly Jolly Hamilton is obviously local and regional people coming to the city, for the most part, but the ornament crawl is a whole different ballgame,” he said. “We are getting more and more people traveling into Hamilton to spend a day or two.”
Now through Dec. 17, Hamilton’s Ornament Crawl is an opportunity to collect 10 or 20 ornaments (depending on which ticket package is purchased) from local participating businesses. But it’s limited to 250 people, and tickets, as of Monday afternoon, were still available at shorturl.at/tABEV.
“It’s fun, and it’s a day,” he said. “People are here in a good mood and have a good time. They have lunch, they have a drink, some of them stay overnight.”
HOLLY JOLLY HAMILTON
For detailed info, visit the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce for details at Hamilton-Ohio.com/Explore-Hamilton.
Dec. 1-17: Hamilton’s Ornament Crawl
Saturday: Ugly Sweater Bar Crawl (tickets are required)
Saturday: Joy to the Wald is from 1 to 3 p.m. at Linden Elementary School with free gifts for children and photos with Santa.
Saturday: Illuminate Hamilton from 5 to 9 p.m., stroll the streets of downtown Hamilton by the warm glow of luminary light. For more, visit https://bitly.ws/Z88e
Sunday: Light Up the Loop from 6 to 8 p.m., stroll or roll through the Washington neighborhood to experience 2.3 miles of glowing luminaries. Santa and carolers will also be there.
Dec. 16: Christmas Wonderland from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., enjoy Christmas Wonderland at Market at Pleasant Treasures. Craft show, bake sale, activities for kids, raffles, pictures with Santa, and there will be a visit from the Grinch.
Dec. 16: That’s a Wrap from noon to 5 p.m. where as people shop downtown, they can get free gift wrapping at 150 High Street (lobby outside of Alexander’s) with a receipt from a local shop.
Dec. 21: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas with Santa from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Lane Library in German Village where the classic story will be brought to life.
ALL SEASON LONG:
Reindeer Games: Help Santa find his elves. Details are on the Explor Hamilton page.
Santa’s House: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays Now through Dec 24, Santa’s House will be open at the corner of High and Second streets. For times and details, visit https://bitly.ws/Z89U.
Letters to Santa: Every day though Christmas Eve, kids can write their wish lists to Santa on the Holly Jolly Hamilton postcards available at local shops and restaurants. Santa’s mailbox is at Marcum Park, and the elves will send a letter back. For more, visit https://bitly.ws/Z8ai
Hamilton Nights at Pyramid Hill: Every Tuesday through Dec. 26, Hamilton residents can enjoy for free (with proof of residency) the Holiday Ligh Show at Pyramid Hill. For information, visit https://bitly.ws/Z893
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