Santa officially arrives in Murfreesboro tonight to light the official Rutherford County Christmas Tree at the annual Celebrate Christmas Downtown event. 

“We hope to continue the festive entertainment and holiday cheer with song and dance once Santa has turned on the beautiful Christmas tree,” said Richard Gabel, executive director for Main Street. 

During the event, carolers, dancers, and singers will entertain throughout downtown.  Local talent will be on-hand to usher in the 2008 Christmas season as everyone gathers around the historic Rutherford County Courthouse.

The Puppets of Praise from First Baptist Church begins at 5:30 with a special pre-show performance; followed by the main stage program, which begins crisply at 6 p.m.

Performers on the main stage will include the men’s a cappella group from North Boulevard Church of Christ, Baker Performance Academy, MTSU performer Brooke Arrington, Christmas Elf Cindy Browning, Black Fox Elementary School Choir, The Marable Brothers and more. 

Of course, Santa will arrive to light the official Rutherford County Christmas tree, and will be available for photographs inside the Courthouse following the festivities. Be sure to bring your own camera this year, as professional photography will only be available in the Courthouse during the weekend of Dec. 19-20.

New this year is a second performance stage located on the Southwest side of the Courthouse, with performances by Siegel Middle School Select Singers, Homer Pittard Campus School Choir, Cason Lane Academy Dance Groups, Northfield Elementary Dance Group and Erma Siegel Elementary Dance Group. 

Choir performances by First Presbyterian Church and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church will be on a third stage located at the corner of Church Street and East Main.

Free Carriage Rides will be available from 7:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. courtesy of the Celebrate Christmas Downtown sponsors Wilson Bank & Trust, Murfreesboro Electric Department, Rutherford County, Main Street: Murfreesboro, Murfreesboro City Schools, Franklin’s Printing and WGNS.

WGNS Blanket Brigade is also part of this year’s Celebrate Christmas Downtown. For the past 8 years, during cold weather months WGNS has collected new blankets to give to local homeless persons here in Murfreesboro. 

The WGNS pickup truck will be parked in front of Big B Cleaners Friday night Dec. 5, and the public is encouraged to fill the back of the truck with new blankets for local homeless persons. The reason they stress "new blankets" is strictly for health reasons. 

The WGNS Good Neighbor Network is FM 100.5; FM 101.9; AM 1450; over-the-air TV channel 11; and worldwide on the Internet at www.WGNSradio.com. 

Merchants and restaurants will be open late as the Shop and Stroll promotion continues. 

Be sure to stop by and pick up a Shop and Stroll passport where you could be the winner of one of three Downtown Shopping Sprees to be given away on Friday, Dec. 19.  Scheduled to stay open late and offer their flavor of holiday magic includes:

B. McNeel’s
Binks Outfitters
Blue Rooster
City Café
Liquid Smoke
Main Street Toy Store
Maple Street Grill
Marina’s Italian Restaurant on the Square
Mesh
Mullins' Jewelry
Ray Hines
Shacklett’s Photography
Sugaree’s
The Clay Cup
The Country Gourmet
The Write Impression
Tomato Tomato
Trendy Pieces
Wall Street

For more information on Celebrate Christmas Downtown, contact Main Street at 615-895-1887.