PIQUA – The Piqua community is invited to celebrate the holidays with “Christmas on the Green” held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2.

“Christmas on the Green is a community festival to welcome the holiday season to the Piqua community,” said Lorna Swisher, executive director of Mainstreet Piqua which hosts the event. “The event has been going on for over two decades and features activities for families to enjoy.”

The event is being held in front of the Fort Piqua Plaza on High Street and the 300 and 400 blocks of North Main Street.

The centerpiece of the event is the caroling where audience members are invited and encouraged to join in. The Piqua Show Choir, the Company, will be leading the caroling. Caroling books are passed out to audience members to invite them to join the choir. This will take place at the gazebo.

The caroling is the centerpiece because it’s “based on the French family’s tradition of going caroling in their neighborhood of the Piqua Caldwell Historic District,” said Swisher. “As they went from house to house the folks who lived in that home would join them as they made their way to the next home. It is a lovely tradition and root of our community caroling experience.”

Prior to the caroling, the Company will be performing their show at 7 p.m. also at the gazebo. The performance will follow the welcoming comments by Dan French from the French Fund, which helps sponsor the event.

The $1 carriage rides will be back again in front of This & That’s Candy on Main Street. The carriage is pulled for one block.

The Piqua Public Library will be hosting activities in the children’s department. The activities include in-person and take-home activities.

Ramon the Ice Sculptor will also be back and will be demonstrating his work throughout the event by creating a couple different sculptures.

Also returning is the live reindeer for children and adults to enjoy. They will be located on High Street.

Stonebridge Church will be allowing families to escape the weather with some games including, corn hole, tic-tac-toe, and others. The church is located on Greene Street. They will also be serving free hot chocolate.

Attendees can also enjoy holiday music from the Gotham City Brass Quintet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. They will be located outside Barclay’s Men’s Women’s Clothier.

“For the first time ever, we will have the WACO Historical Society joining us with their plane train. It will depart from in front of the Mainstreet Piqua office at 326 N. Main St. There is no charge for the rides,” said Swisher. Also new to the event will be a face-painter at 327 N. Main St. along with a juggling elf and a fire dancer.

Food options include the downtown restaurants, B & V Eatz Food Truck, Cumberland Kettle Corn, Dobo’s Delights, and the Boy Scout Pack 76. The Boy Scout Pack 76 will be serving hot dogs, chili, and hot beverages. Dobo’s Delights will be serving cabbage rolls and sweet treats. The downtown restaurants include the Scottish Thistle, Referee Sports Bar, 3 Joe’s, and Winan’s.

Other downtown businesses will be open and welcoming folks for their holiday shopping.

“As a part of their community outreach, St. James Episcopal Church, located on High Street in downtown Piqua, will be doing their scarf, hat and sock give-away. Throughout the year the church’s knitting circle knits scarves and hats and they have socks donated to them by Bombas. The items will be on tables at the intersection of High and Main Streets, the public is welcome to come and get a scarf, hat or socks if they are in need. We sincerely appreciate the fact that St. James uses this event for their annual give-away,” said Swisher.

Swisher would like to thank the event sponsors which include the French Fund of the Piqua Community Foundation, Premier Health/Upper Valley Medical Centers, and Evenflo. She would also like to thank the event organizing committee and their volunteers from Park National Park.

The Downtown Piqua Holiday Parade starts at 2 p.m. on Satuday, Dec. 3.