Exciting Plans for Eureka Springs Holiday Season Announced

EUREKA SPRINGS – The Eureka Springs Holiday Committee, a joint collaboration of the City Advertising & Promotion Commission and the Greater Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce, has announced its Christmastime schedule of events.

"We have been meeting on holiday planning since last April and most recently gained full support from the state of Arkansas. We are now able to announce the exciting schedule of events," stated Mardell Bland, Committee Chair.

"A Dickens of a Christmas" will run from Nov. 11 through Dec. 31 with its Celebration Weekend scheduled for Dec.1-3.

"We contacted the state of Arkansas and we will be a featured destination in their Trail of Holiday Lights brochure. We also wanted to host a familiarization tour for meeting planners and travel writers to raise the level of attention about how wonderful Eureka Springs is during Christmastime. We are pleased to announce that we have been successful on both accounts. Most residents already know that we were selected as one of the top 15 holiday towns in America, but we need to make sure visitors know about our Christmas Parade, Tour of Homes, unique shopping opportunities, and seasonal entertainment," stated Lynn Berry.

The Celebration Weekend is in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and its annual Christmas Parade, Santa in the Park and Christmas sales, the Preservation Society’s Tour of Homes, the Eureka Springs Historic Museum’s Christmas Ball, "Beyond Dickens" at the Great Passion Play, The Gavioli Chapel’s Christmas concert, Turpentine Creek’s "Bless the Beasts and the Children," the Gallery Co-op’s "For All the Days of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me" themed events and the Crescent Hotel’s annual Brunch with Santa. Activities will be highlighted with music throughout the town, including “A Season of Celebration” performed six nights a week at Pine Mountain Jamboree and all of the merchants will be encouraged to dress Victorian on this weekend.

Michelle McDonald, of the Rosalie Tour Home, has dreamed of such an event since seeing Dickens on the Strand, held in Galveston. "We just look like a Victorian Christmas card. I can easily imagine downtown with wonderfully decorated storefronts, Victorians strolling and caroling all through the town. All of that, and so much to do in the holiday spirit, will really make our town look great. Eureka! You’ve found it!"

The full Eureka Springs schedule of events is also available online at eurekasprings.org or call 1-866 WISH EUREKA.