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BUCHANAN — The Buchanan community is gearing up for yuletide festivities this Saturday.

The Buchanan Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Buchanan are hosting their annual Bucktown Christmas at 1 p.m. Saturday in downtown Buchanan.

The all-day event will start with shopping and activities from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Several local businesses will have special deals in celebration of Bucktown Christmas, including the Buchanan Farmers’ Market’s annual Holiday Market in the Buchanan Commons.

“It’s a fun way for the community to get together and kick off the holiday season small-town style,” said Chamber of Commerce Planning Committee Leader Stacey Martin.

Fernwood Botanical Gardens will host a wreath making activity downtown. The Buchanan District Library will allow children to visit Santa and his reindeer and the Buchanan Art Center will also host craft tables for adults and children to take part in.

At 5:30 p.m., a holiday parade will begin on Front Street, followed by the holiday lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. in the Buchanan Commons. The lighting ceremony will involve a “flipping of the switch,” led by Miss Buchanan Lillian Waggoner, turning on all Buchanan’s holiday lights. The lighting ceremony will also feature Christmas music, award announcements and Santa.

2022 marks the sixth year Martin has been involved with Bucktown Christmas, which was created to combine downtown Small Business Saturday with traditional Buchanan holiday activities.

“It really is a group effort,” she said. “We wanted to make it a fun time for the whole community. It’s grown every year. Now folks know the Saturday after Thanksgiving is when the whole town comes together.”

Martin said the event would not be possible without many local businesses and organizations coming together. 

“I serve on the Buchanan Chamber of Commerce board. We partner with the city,” she said. “The DPW guys string up the lights for us and the city helps with preparations. The library, the art center and the downtown businesses. None of this could be done without community pitching in.”

A Buchanan native, Martin looks forward to seeing community members and visitors alike enjoying what downtown Buchanan has to offer.

“I love the feel of the event, it’s magical,” she said. “The feel encapsulates the magic of Christmas. I have four kids that I’m raising here. I want them to have a special memory and a special tradition around Christmas, and I want that for the rest of the kids around Buchanan.”

Sponsors include:

Sturgis Bank | Buchanan Township Fire Department | McCarty Well Drilling | Horizon Realty Group | The Luke Family | Red Bud Tools | Have Fun at Buchanan Parks | RMC Quality Construction | Buchanan Church of the Nazarene | Country Heritage Credit Union | Fernwood | Roti Roti Art Center | Buchanan District Library | DPM Events