Guest column . . . by Jeff Orth: Family fun found in downtown Gilroy during the holidays

Downtown Gilroy is getting prepared for our Holiday Festival and Parade

Photo courtesy Visit Gilroy A young Santa fan rides with the big guy during last year’s downtown Holiday Parade.

By Jeff Orth

Jeff Orth

The most wonderful time of the year is about to sleigh ride into downtown Gilroy with a magical mix of merriment for the whole family this holiday season. So deck those halls, don your festive finery, and get ready to jingle all the way to a holly jolly good time during South Valley’s jam-packed celebrations. Come join the fun and make some memories.

If you have been downtown this year, I hope you have noticed all the changes and improvements. The trees are fully lit, the sidewalks have been cleaned, there are beautiful planters painted by local artists, and soon you should hear music playing from the sound system as you walk down the street. There are many new businesses, and many more in the works.

Thanks to partnerships with the city of Gilroy, Gilroy Chamber of Commerce, and Visit Gilroy, the Gilroy Downtown Business Association has had record attendance at all the events that they have hosted this year. I hope you have had a chance to attend one, if not all, of these popular celebrations of local life: Art and Wine Walk, Downtown Live, and Beer Crawl, as well as other supported events: Tamal Festival, La Ofrenda, and Veterans Parade.

Coming up next is the popular Small Business Saturday where you can learn about our local vendors. Come downtown, get a start on your holiday shopping, and support our family-run businesses on Nov. 25, the Saturday after Thanksgiving Day.

For the last big event of the year, downtown Gilroy is getting prepared for our Holiday Festival and Parade. As the streets turn into a winter wonderland, you will want to bring your family downtown on Saturday, Dec. 2, to start the holiday season off right.

Come enjoy the jovial music, delightful decorations and vividly lit trees along Monterey Street beginning at 3 p.m. Have a cup of hot chocolate (available in both a child and adult version). Get some early shopping done at our downtown stores and street vendors.

Many of the downtown restaurants will be offering holiday lunch and dinner specials for you to gobble up.

The kids will delight in the Trail of Treats — a Yuletide holiday version of trick-or-treating.

Don’t miss the chance for the little ones to meet storybook Grinchville celebs like the adorable “Lucy Lou” and the larger-than-life Grinch — Dr. Seuss’s grumpy green guy’s heart is sure to grow three sizes this Christmas!

And, of course, kiddos young and old will want to go to Santa’s Village and snap a pic with the big guy himself while basking in the carnival-like cheer. Young ones will receive a special treat and a free gift from Mr. Claus.

The evening will be topped off with an amazing Holiday Parade that starts at 5 p.m. At the end, watch Santa in his sleigh, assisted by Mayor Marie Blankley and many of Gilroy’s tots, light the official city holiday tree in the parking lot at Fifth and Monterey streets.

I hope, like many others, you’ve seen so many positive changes in our downtown. Come discover — or rediscover — that downtown Gilroy is a safe, attractive, inviting and fun place for the entire family during the holidays and throughout the year. We’re lucky there’s always something great happening in the heart of our community.

Abounding with so much magic, memories and merrymaking abound, downtown Gilroy is “sleighing it” this season as the spirited place for family and friends to come together and celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. So hitch up those reindeer and make plans to have yourself a merry little Christmas, Gilroy style!

Jeff Orth serves as chair of the Gilroy Downtown Business Association board.