Downtown Dickens Christmas looks to be best ever Chamber holds luncheon welcoming members

By Cliff Williams Staff Writer

By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer

Downtown Wetumpka will step back in time for the fourth Downtown Dickens Christmas.

The Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce held its annual luncheon to install new officers and board members for the first time in a while Thursday.

The COVID-19 pandemic put a hamper on gath erings but the chamber celebrated the successes of business in Wetumpka.

The event hosted by the Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce has grown steadily over the last few years and this year promises to be no different. Especially considering the success of Main Street Wetumpka’s Candy Crawl just a few weeks ago where 6,400 people filled downtown streets for the one night event.

“We haven’t been able to do this for the last cou ple years,” chairperson Clay McConnell said. “Your attendance is an indication people want to get back together and have these opportunities to see each

See CHAMBER, Page A3

“Given what happened at the candy crawl and we had like nearly 9,000 people at last year’s Dickens Christmas, we are foreseeing a really successful festive event this year. People know we are doing it,” chamber director Shellie Whitfield said. “That was over two nights coming out of a global pandemic. We have posted it to a lot of the [HGTV] Hometown Facebook pages. So we think there will be a lot of people coming in for the event.”

Whitfield said the event is a win for everyone involved and just in time to kickoff the Christmas holiday season Dec. 2-3.

Police are still investigating the fatal shooting in the Wetumpka Walmart parking lot on Jan. 20.