ChristmasVille City of Rock Hill

By Laurie Helms, Rock Hill Parks, Recreation & Tourism

Rock Hill’s annual ChristmasVille festival features over 70 events and activities including horsedrawn carriage rides, historic tours, workshops, art, music, shopping, a gingerbread house contest, ice skating and fun with Santa. Many events and activities are free, thanks to festival and event sponsors.

Held the first weekend in December, this fourday festival celebrates the whimsical art of Vernon Grant with festive decorations, Santa images and gnomes. Grant, Rock Hill’s adopted son, was a well-known children’s illustrator and artist of the famed Kellogg’s ® Rice Krispies Snap! ® Crackle! ® Pop! ®

Festival Support

ChristmasVille is supported by sponsors and community volunteers, with the City of Rock Hill providing numerous services and staff support. For example, Rock Hill Parks, Recreation & Tourism (PRT) sets the scene and transforms the downtown district, known as Old Town, into a charming, picturesque holiday village. This effort takes planning with the actual transformation beginning weeks prior to the festival. Throughout the festival, PRT handles equipment set-ups and breakdowns, servicing of trash and recycling containers and other needs. Police, Public Works and other city departments also contribute to the festival.

Programmed Events

Several festival events and activities are programmed by PRT. Deck the Hall is an outdoor sing-along with performances by children’s groups and includes our mayor reading “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” This is held outside City Hall in the Old Town Amphitheater.

The Rock Hill Christmas Parade is a nighttime, lighted parade with 80-90 community and business entries coordinated by PRT with volunteers from Winthrop University and others. The fan favorite is of course, Santa Claus, who rides and sings on a custom float at the end of the parade. Yes, he sings! Santa Tony is quite the character, even when not in “Santa mode.” A little-known fact is his connection with PRT -he was an employee at Cherry Park during the

1980’s.

Rock Hill’s historic Glencairn Garden is the setting for A Story with Santa in the Garden. PRT staff offer craft activities, hot cocoa and cookies and after Santa reads Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, children can visit with him as parents take photos. It’s a fun free event!

Sensory Sensitive Santa

In 2022, a new ChristmasVille event debuted, based on a holiday activity that PRT has offered at the City’s inclusive park, Miracle Park. The goal of Sensory Sensitive Santa is to provide a modified festival experience to those who can be anxious and overwhelmed by large crowds and overstimulated by the variety of sights, sounds and aromas found at festivals.

The 3-hour event was held on Sunday at a local coffee shop, prior to the shop’s opening. Pre-registration was required to limit the wait times and participants. Sensory stations were positioned throughout the space for hand-on activities similar to Santa’s Workshop, one of the festival’s most popular events. The stations offered exploration with items to touch, taste, smell, see and hear. Participants could also visit with Santa at their level of comfort.

ChristmasVille 2023

ChristmasVille has been recognized with several awards, including four awards from the Southeast Festival and Events Association at their 2023 meeting. To borrow a saying, “it takes a Christmas village” to plan and execute such a large-scale event. Since the festival’s inception, the PRT department has been a key player alongside other City departments and numerous sponsors and volunteers. PRT looks forward to many ChristmasVille’s to come.

ChristmasVille 2023 will be held Thursday, November 30 - Sunday, December 3. n