12/01/2022
Who's ready for some festive fun in Downtown Florence?
π Starting Friday, December 2nd, the Downtown Holiday Music & Light Show will run nightly from 5:30pm to 10:00pm. Located on South Dargan Street in front of the Waters Building, this animated show features lights dancing along to some of your favorite holiday songs. The show is free to attend and runs until December 31st thanks to this year's sponsor, Duke Energy.
π Join us on Friday, December 9th for Downtown Christmas Magic! This family-friendly event features holiday inflatables, marshmallow roasting, hot chocolate, food vendors, a kids zone, and a photo op with Santa Claus. The event runs from 5:30pm until 9:00pm and is free to attend thanks to sponsors CSP Insurance Services and South Carolina Federal Credit Union.
π From now until Friday, December 9th, make sure to vote in our annual Holiday Window Decorating Contest! Select small businesses in Downtown have decorated their windows in holiday cheer and your vote could help them win a cash prize. Once the window contest ends, we'll be hosting a new contest, our Holiday Scavenger Hunt, from December 10th until December 18th. Participants will solve clues to find QR codes hidden across Downtown. The more clues you solve and QR codes you scan, the more chances you have to win a Downtown prize!
π The Florence County Museum will host their Family Day at the Museum on December 10th (this month's theme is Do You Want to Build a Snowman?) and an Art Afterhours for adults on December 15th featuring Waldorf Window Stars.
π The Florence County Public Library will host the P*e Dee Author Expo on December 3rd, a Little Bits and Moss Robotics class for teens on December 5th, an Angel Paper Craft for adults on December 13th, and a Wrap & Yap party for adults on December 20th.
π The Florence Little Theatre will present Peter Pan Jr. from December 9th-11th and Beauty and the Beast Jr. from December 16th-18th.
π The Florence Symphony Orchestra will perform their popular Holiday Pops concert on December 12th. The concert will feature holiday classics and live vocal performances.
π The FMU Gately Gallery is currently showing work from Dalvin Spann and the FMU Visual Arts Department students. The shows are on display until December 16th when there will be an Artist Talk with Spann & a Closing Reception.
π The Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center has several performances this month including The Nutcracker presented by the SC Dance Theatre on December 2nd-3rd and also the Columbia City Ballet on December 15th. Black Violin will perform on December 10th and the State Ballet Theatre of the Ukraine will perform Sleeping Beauty on December 21st.
π The Masterworks Choir will hold their annual Christmas Concerts on december 10th and 11th. They will feature the Midnight Mass for Christmas by French baroque composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier. The second work on the program is Magnificat by J.S. Bach. As an added bonus, the Masterworks Childrenβs Choir will join them for several beloved Christmas carols.
π There will also be two Christmas parades this month with routes that go through parts of Downtown. On Sunday, December 11th there will be a nighttime Christmas Golf Parade & Toy Run and the Florence Christmas Parade will take place on Saturday, December 17th. Both of these parades are organized by citizens and for more information about the Golf Cart Parade, reach out to Joy Walker at 843-206-7355 and for the Florence Christmas Parade, reach out to Pat Gibson Hye Moore at 843-472-9420.
We also want to encourage you to shop local as much as possible this month! If you need suggestions, check out our Holiday Gift Guide here: https://www.florencedowntown.com/sites/default/files/uploads/2022_holiday_gift_guide_1.pdf.