Soon after loosening our belts and stuffing our faces with Thanksgiving treats, Christmas will be quickly approaching. Whether you celebrate the holiday or simply enjoy the festivities, there’s plenty of joy to go around, and Columbia has a special event planned for everyone.
The Living Windows Festival has been a downtown Columbia tradition for several years. The festival, a walking tour of downtown, will take place Friday from 6 to 8 p.m.
Various shops will transform their storefronts into winter, holiday and movie scenes, complete with live actors performing the scenes in the windows.
Last year, approximately 23 businesses participated, and Josh Wright, the marketing coordinator for The District, the 50-square-block downtown area, expects a similar turnout this year. Wright says that the festival is a great way to kick off the winter and holiday season, and that it would never happen “without the great effort of each individual shop owner.”
So what can festivalgoers expect from this holiday madness? Wright says not only to look out this week for maps, which will show which shops are participating (he says to expect a window based on the movie “Frozen”), but also to look for carolers, sidewalk cafes and live music.
This event is extremely family-friendly, but it’s also an overall good time that attracts people of all ages from around and outside of Columbia.
Amy Schneider, the director of the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau, says the festival is “great for Columbia (and is) look(ed) forward to every December.”
Another festival feature will be holiday video greeting cards made in part by Columbia Access Television. The greeting cards, part of CAT’s display, will feature three televisions stacked on one another to make a snowman. Festivalgoers will have the chance to become the snowman thanks to CAT’s video crew, who will be filming people and replacing the snowman’s head with their own.
Jennifer Erickson, CAT’s Executive Director, says “the sky’s the limit” when it comes to filming these cards, and that they are a “really creative way to reach out to people,” for the fun festive season. Participants can choose from a variety of backgrounds and music for their card, and the cards will be available in about one week.
The stores will also be open for shopping during the two-hour festival, making the event a good opportunity to get a start on your holiday shopping.
Parking will be free in all city garages the night of the festival, and the Living Windows Festival lines up with the North Village Arts District’s First Fridays Art Gallery Crawl from 6 to 9 p.m.
