You might still be nibbling on leftover Halloween candy but Christmas decorations are already draping stores and Christmas songs are already on the radio. And this is before you’ve even thought of planning your Thanksgiving Day menu.
It’s too early, you might wail but for merchants and one radio station, it is not.
“Your holiday music station is Sunny 100,” said Derrick “Li’l D” Greene, the operations manager of the eight Clear Channel radio stations in town.
“We are playing Christmas music as we speak,” he said Wednesday. “I started playing Christmas music Halloween night.”
Asked if it isn’t too early, he emphatically said, “No.”
“Christmas never comes early enough,” he said. “We want to put holiday cheer in everyone’s spirit. We want people to be happy and chipper earlier this year.”
Greene said WJSP-FM (also called Sunny 100) is playing holiday music around the clock now through Christmas.
The other seven Clear Channel stations will play holiday music sporadically until Christmas Day.
Shopping centers
Folks at The Landings, off Airport Thruway, want shoppers to know exactly how many shopping days remain until Christmas. A hot pink Christmas tree on the lawn in front of Applebee’s restaurant will remind motorists every day how much time remains. The Landings will light up the shopping center next Thursday (Nov. 10) at 6 p.m. Festivities are set for 5-8 p.m. There will be a free concert by local favorites Jonathan and Lisa Moore and free horse-and-carriage rides along with free cotton candy and popcorn.
“It’s a clean, family fun Christmas event,” said Lucy Jones, executive vice president of the Woodruff Co. that owns the Landings.
A parade will escort Santa Claus to his place at the Landings under a tent near Fuddrucker’s. The parade will begin near Big Lots and cross Airport Thruway, which will be closed to traffic.
The Market will be open 6-9 p.m. Fridays until Dec. 23 and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays until Dec. 17. Visitors can buy fresh produce, baked items, local honey and jewelry at the Market.
Peachtree Mall welcomes Santa Claus and his helpers on Nov. 18.
Mall manager Christopher McCoy said the Santa Parade begins at 7 p.m. with high school bands and choruses leading old St. Nick.
There will be drum lines, cheerleaders and the Junior ROTC from Russell County High School as well.
Children can follow the parade to Santa’s area.
Broadway Holiday, the lighting of the Christmas tree and other holiday icons along Broadway in downtown Columbus, is set for dark on Dec. 2.
Area boutiques
The Cherry Zebra held its holiday open house last weekend, but it’s not too late to order custom Christmas cards. There’s a two-day turn-around to print the cards. Shoppers looking for monogrammed gifts have until Dec. 21 to make their selections for pick-up on Dec. 23. The shop, 1701 Rollins Way, is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. 706-571-3007.
The Columbus Museum, 1251 Wynnton Road (706-748-2562), will hold its annual holiday open house in the gift shop 4-7:30 p.m. Nov. 17, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Nov. 18-19 and 1-4:30 p.m. Nov. 20. The museum’s gift shop has art books, jewelry, children’s gifts and books, one-of-a-kind household items, music CDs and hand-crafted handbags. Shoppers can get their gifts wrapped for free and they get 10 percent off most items. Refreshments will be catered by the Dinner Divas.
Phenix City’s Fletcher’s Gifts, 3615 S. Railroad St. (334-298-2525), hosts its holiday open house 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 12. Fletcher’s features a large selection of collectibles, including figurines, china, crystal, Lindsay Philips’ snap shoes and Switch Flops, flags, maps and baby gifts. Regular store hours are 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday. The shop is located right behind Bruster’s Ice Cream, Regions Bank and Ezell’s on the 280 Bypass.
Front Porch Gallery, 1309 Wildwood Ave. (706-596-0096) hosts a holiday open house 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 12. Owner Janice Dean said customers can buy work from one of more than 50 area artists. Some of the artists will be at the open house to meet shoppers. There will also be samplings of gourmet dips, cheeseballs and jellies. There will be pottery, paintings, wood, glass, photography, fabric arts and jewelry for sale. Regular hours are 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday; after Thanksgiving, hours will be 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.
Holiday decorations are already up at the Sample Shop, 2523 Airport Thruway (706-653-2583). The holiday open house is set for 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Nov. 10. Store manager Elizabeth Calhoun said the family-owned store has been in business since 1955. It’s moved several times, but has been in the Landings now for five years.
“We are looking forward to a great holiday season,” she said.
The store has gifts for all occasions for men, women and children. This year, instead of Christmas-themed gifts, the store is focusing on “better gifts and stocking stuffers” in all price ranges. Regular hours are 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.
It’s not too late to get your holiday event listed in the paper. E-mail jchandler@ledger-enquirer.com and sokamoto@ledger-enquirer.com with the details of your event.
