Nov. 21, 2023 • Volume 26, Issue 22 • Complimentary • BlufftonSun.com
INSIDE • Toomer Clinches Bluffton Mayoral Seat 10A • Toy Drives Abound As Bluffon Residents Give Back In So Many Ways 12A • Frazier, Wood Keep Council Seats 14A • Bluffton Town Announced Incentive Program To Help Businesses Grow In Areas Most Needed
16A
• Remembering Our Veterans In Multiple Ceremonies 17A
Beloved Festive Traditions To Ignite The Holiday Season By Gwyneth J. Saunders CONTRIBUTOR
When the tree in DuBois Park is lit up on Dec. 1 and Bluffton’s 52nd annual Christmas parade hits the streets Dec. 2, our town’s festive holiday season will officially begin. Bluffton’s Tree Lighting ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m. at Martin Family Park followed by Santa’s Workshop at DuBois Park’s Pavilion. The movie “Elf” will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Martin Family Park, and families are encouraged to bring blankets and/or chairs to enjoy the film. Martin Family Park and DuBois Park are adjacent to each other on Boundary Street in the Historic District. The parade’s Grand Marshall will be announced at the tree lighting and will be one of the VIPs in the parade which will step off Dec. 2 at 10 a.m. in the Historic District. The main attraction – the Big Elf himself – will be travelling on the Bluffton Township Fire
Department’s big, red fire engine. The 52nd annual Christmas parade and tree-lighting events have become the area’s go-to community celebration to welcome the holidays. It’s become so large and popular, that over the years some of the rules have changed to protect both the participants as well as the folks lining the streets. “The number of attendees keeps growing astronomically over the years. At some point, we thought we might want to limit who participates, but that is not agreeable,” said Bluffton Town Councilman Fred Hamilton. “We want to make sure it continues to be the center of the holiday spirit. The Christmas parade has always seemed to grow and grow every year. We have folks who come from other areas to witness our parade. It’s probably one of the better Christmas parades in our region.” There may be as many as 125 parade entries, and all had the option of paying a
VISIT THE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON! OPEN: Tues-Fri: 10am-5pm Sat: 10am-4pm FREE ADMISSION!
310 Okatie Highway | (843) 645-7774 PortRoyalSoundFoundation.org
A beloved Bluffton tradition, the annual Christmas parade kicks off the holiday season with the perfect combination of fanfare and small town charm.
parade entry fee or donating to the mayor’s “Stay Safe, Bluffton!” Scholarship Fund. The donation will help fund scholarships for Bluffton’s students as well as support the
town’s safe driving campaign to reduce and eliminate vehicle causalities and fatalities. As for rules that were implemented a few years ago, parade entries will not be allowed to toss candy or other items from their vehicles or floats, but people are allowed to walk alongside the parade entry and distribute items hand-to-hand to the crowd. Spectators will also not be permitted to run into the streets to grab items. Bluffton is introducing a new tradition this year with the lighting of a large menorah on Dec. 9 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Martin Family Park. This is a free public event so the community may gather together to celebrate additional traditions. Although the tree-lighting and parade are long-standing traditions, efforts at establishing other holiday customs have not met with as much success.
Please see TRADITIONS on page 18A