ROCKINGHAM — Although there’s a threat of rain in the forecast, the Downtown Christmas Festival is still on for Thursday evening, according to organizers.
Games and other entertainment, in addition to various vendors will be set up along East Washington Street from Randolph Street to Harrington Square.
Sections of Lee Street will be closed at the square and East Washington will be closed at the intersection with Hancock.
The event, organized by the Rockingham Downtown Corp., is slated to start at 5 p.m., with Santa Claus arriving on a fire truck and being greeted by Mayor John Hutchinson before sitting down in the open gallery of Arts Richmond.
Around the same time, dancers from Bold Moves Dance Company are scheduled to perform at the Food King plaza. A team from Dance Sensations is slated to perform at the same location at 6 p.m. and the Silverliners go on at 7.
Eric Whitfield and Friends will kick off the musical entertainment on stage at the square at 5:30, followed by the Richmond Community College Chorus at 6:30 and the Richmond Senior High School Band at 7:30, concluding with a Christmas carol sing-along.
Sweet Haven Church, Richmond Community College and the Richmond County Aging Services Department will have game booths set up along the route, and A Southern Touch at the Estate will have a station for making reindeer food.
A vendor market will also be set up inside Liberty Place.
According to the National Weather Service, there is a 100% chance of rain and thunderstorms throughout the day, but precipitation could taper off in the late afternoon.
Organizers say there is a back-up plan for the entertainment in the case of rain.
