For years, in late October, when darkness begins to fall earlier and the temperatures are just starting to drop, Moorestown has sent Main Street aglow with Candlelight Night. The annual event was tinged with nostalgia as horse-drawn carriages offered rides down Main Street, carolers strolled the streets and the soft light of candles lined the street.
This year, the Moorestown Business Association has decided to combine Candlelight Night with another successful holiday event, the Holiday Stroll, which offered special holiday deals from Main Street merchants. The event will take place later in November than Candlelight Night traditionally has in a move that the MBA hopes helps the event serve as Moorestown’s official welcome to the holiday season. The MBA’s Main Street Candlelight Stroll will take place on Saturday, Nov. 30 from 2 to 8 p.m. along Moorestown’s Main Street.
Christine Dash, the event’s chair, said with Candlelight Night and the Holiday Stroll taking place in such quick succession last year, it seemed like it might be a better idea to take the best parts of each event and combine them. She said they decided to host the event on “Small Business Saturday” to help get people on Main Street and supporting local merchants.
Throughout the day, attendees can expect holiday music and horse drawn carriages. Dash said they’re hoping to make Main Street feel a bit like New York City at Christmas time, and so, there will be small, decorated holiday trees lining the street.
The event will also feature an outdoor Holiday Artisan Village where a dozen vendors will offer one-of-a-kind, hand-made gift items, and for those who are interested in purchasing the MBA’s annual holiday ornament, several Main Street vendors will be offering the ornament for purchase. Per the Candlelight Night tradition, luminaries will line Main Street offering a gentle and festive glow for shoppers.
“The hope is that there will be people who support our local merchants, and new people from different areas will find Moorestown’s local shops and eateries,” Dash said.
Santa Claus will stroll Main Street for the duration of the event, and attendees can have their photo taken with him, and Christmas carolers will fill the streets with music as attendees shop along the town’s main thoroughfare.
“If nothing else, we’re going to get you in the holiday spirit,” Dash said. “Come support our local town and be part of a really great festive event.”
