Holiday Celebration, Lighted Boat Parade, Hot Cocoa Crawl to get EC in holiday spirit

ECP Parks and Rec Christmas Parade set for Dec. 4

From one-day events to month-long activities, “Christmas in Elizabeth City” offers a wide range of holiday activities for all ages.

The annual Downtown Holiday Celebration and Grand Illumination will kick off Elizabeth City’s holiday festivities on Nov. 25 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Holiday Celebration and Grand Illumination in past years has drawn hundreds of people to the Pasquotank County Courthouse where the switch for the downtown Christmas lights are turned on.

Among the activities scheduled for the event are the Hay-Ride/Sleigh Ride, free hot cocoa and sweets and visits with Santa Claus. Local businesses will also be hosting free activities for children.

“They are all kid-oriented activities,” said Elizabeth City Downtown, Inc. Executive Director Deborah Malenfant. “Some give out free ginger bread and some give out free hot cocoa or apple cider. Everybody does a little bit something different.”

ECDI has purchased $3,000 worth of new Christmas lights to replace old lights and decorate additional trees at Waterfront Park.

“Those trees at waterfront park will look much more festive,” Malenfant said.

Small Business Saturday will be on Nov. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. while First Friday ArtWalk and the annual Lighted Boat Parade will be held Dec. 2. ArtWalk will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. while the boat parade will start at 7 p.m.

Visitors for First Friday ArtWalk in December can enjoy artwork, artist demonstrations and live music around downtown Elizabeth City. Santa Claus will also make a visit.

Malenfant said the December ArtWalk is one of ECDI’s biggest in terms of businesses participating and people attending.

“All the businesses will be decorated for Christmas,” Malenfant said. “We will have a wandering Santa.”

In addition to the Dec. 2 ArtWalk, the annual downtown Christmas Window Decorating Contest will be from Nov. 26 to Dec. 31.

The Pasquotank River Yacht Club’s Lighted Boat Parade will be held on the Pasquotank River along the downtown waterfront. The boats will dock at Mariners’ Wharf after the boat parade where the public will judge and then give awards to the top decorated boats, Malenfant said.

The Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Parks and Recreation’s annual Christmas Parade will be held the next day, Saturday, Dec. 4, at 5:30 p.m., with entries again lining up on Westover Street.

After turning right onto Ehringhaus Street, the parade will proceed to Road Street and turn left, and then right onto Main Street. After passing downtown, the parade will turn right on Water Street and end after passing Waterfront Park.

Also on tap is Visit Elizabeth City’s 2nd annual Hot Cocoa Crawl, which will be from Nov. 25 to Jan. 15. VEC has described the city as the “Hot Cocoa Capital of the World.”

VEC Executive Director Corrina Ruffieux called the event a “massive” effort and that over 30 businesses and organizations had signed up as of Oct. 20.

“That is more than triple in size from last year and that is super exciting,” Ruffieux said.

The community-wide Hot Cocoa Crawl will feature traditional with a twist hot cocoa and chocolate-infused beer and cocktails along with handcrafted cocoa-themed gifts.

“We will have incredibly created chocolate-themed beverages,” Ruffieux said. But it is not all hot-cocoa. We have custom-made candles to knitting projects, and all sorts of things.”

By Paul Nielsen - Staff Writer

Left The Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Parks and Recreation’s annual Christmas Parade will be held Saturday, Dec. 4, at 5:30 p.m., with entries again lining up on Westover Street.

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The Pasquotank Yacht Club holds its Lighted Boat Parade on the Pasquotank River in Elizabeth City, Friday, Dec. 3, 2021. This year’s parade will be held on the river Friday, Dec. 2.

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