May 10, 2024

Chamber to host Downtown Christmas Open House

By Bob Eschliman

The annual Courthouse Lighting and Lighted Christmas Parade is set for Friday, Nov. 29, the evening after Thanksgiving. This year's event will be theme "Christmas in Toyland." Food and festivities began in 5 p.m. with the lighting of the Jasper County Courthouse Christmas light display. The parade will begin at 6 p.m. Other highlights of the event include the annual Jasper County Young Professionals chili cook-off, a Christmas carol sing-a-long and the Jasper County 4H Festival of Trees and Santa in the courthouse. (Daily News)

“The best way to invest in Downtown Newton and the Main Street effort is to support and shop at our outstanding local merchants,” Greater Newton Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Darrell Sarmento said. “The Downtown Christmas Open House is a great way to do that.”

This year’s Downtown Christmas Open House will begin Saturday morning at 10 a.m. when all of the downtown merchants will open their stores, all of which have been decorated for the Christmas season. In addition to special sales, the merchants will offer seasonal goodies until 4 p.m.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Santa will stroll the courthouse square to visit with the children. From noon to 2 p.m., free horse-drawn carriage rides will be provided, courtesy of Newton Village and Park Centre. The Iowa Speedway pace car will also be on hand to give kids free rides around the square.

Sunday, the downtown merchants will open their stores from noon to 4 p.m. Santa will, the horse-drawn carriage rides and the Iowa Speedway pace car will be on the square from 1 to 3 p.m. The Newton Children’s Choir will begin caroling at 2 p.m.