Chamber chair: Holiday decor should aid in area promotion

Rayma Silvers/Tribune Photo Fort Scott city crews work Thursday preparing downtown for the holiday season.

In September, Manneco, an Independence, Mo. based company, completed a Christmas light renovation in the downtown area. According to Manneco owner Hoot Mann, about 1,300 feet of new Christmas lights were strung in downtown Fort Scott.

In addition, Mann and his crew serviced 2,500 feet of lights that were already in place on downtown buildings. The lights line most of the buildings on Main Street from Citizen's Bank N.A. to Skubitz Plaza. Many of the buildings on Wall Street from the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, 231 E. Wall St., to National Avenue are also equipped with the new lights.

The downtown decorations will help enhance the 4th Annual Christmas Parade, which will begin at 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30, in downtown Fort Scott. Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Downtown Division Chairwoman Cheryl Adamson said the parade route will begin at the corner of Main and Third streets, and will continue following Main Street north to the Fort Scott National Historic Site before turning west and ending on National Avenue.

After the parade, other Christmas-related activities, including a giant tree lighting ceremony, are scheduled to take place in Skubitz Plaza. The day of the parade has also changed this year from it's regular Tuesday to Sunday, Adamson said.

"We've changed because the structure of the downtown has changed," Adamson said. "We want to get more people downtown, and we want to capture an atmosphere like the plaza (in Kansas City, Mo.) at night. It could be a spectacular event. Hopefully we'll have good participation and a lot of families getting together." Area children will also be able to visit Santa in his workshop and present him with Christmas gift wish lists following the parade as well. All kids who visit Santa will receive a gift bag and a pair of winter gloves that have been donated by a local retail store, Adamson said.