Holiday shopping in Paris begins with a downtown festival

Despite the clouds and coolness of the day, youngsters and their parents lined up for a visit with Santa on Friday, eager to offer the most secret wishes for those magical gifts that appear under the tree Christmas morning.

The traditional ‘Black Friday’ kicked off at 10 a.m., offering four hours of arts and crafts, hayrides, freshly popped popcorn and other treats to those who gathered for the official start of the Christmas season. It was a quieter  than usual holiday celebration, but the sparse gathering held an abundance of enthusiasm.

Henry County 4-H clubs offered four craft tables, scattered around the center of town. Readings of The Polar Express enchanted youngsters who were given wooden “train whistles”  commemorating the book.

As we move into the start of December, a series of musical events, parades and other festive fun begins.