Southport Winterfest 2024 kickstarts Friday, December 6th
"We have grandparents that come now that say they rode the firetrucks in the 1950s and 1960s. So its been a tradition for generations and generations."
BRUNSWICK COUNTY (WWAY)–Southport Winterfest 2024 is gearing up to start on Friday, December 6th, welcoming back many of its traditional WINTERFEST favorites. This year, there are 17 family-friendly events to enjoy. Some events include the fourth annual storefront showcase, shop-with-a-cop concert, and Southport Christmas Parade.
Winterfest kicks off its week of activities with the Downtown Tree Lighting Ceremony. Folks will gather at Whittler’s Bench, listening to local choirs serenading residents with time-honored Christmas Carols. There is also the storefront showcase, which will last until Saturday, December 15th. Southport businesses are decorating their businesses. Visitors, guests, or residents of Southport can follow the Storefront Showcase map that will be available online to visit each store and cast votes on each participating business. This year, there are five categories: Most Original, Most Kid-friendly, Most Traditional, Biggest Surprise, or Best Overall. Voting participants may vote more than once per category. On Tuesday, December 17, 2024, winners will be announced.
Not available to enjoy the festival’s kickstart? Friday, December 13th to Saturday, December 14th will also be filled with events. “Light up the Night Christmas Parade,” is Friday, December 13th. Children, grownups, residents, and visitors look forward to the annual Light Up the Night Christmas Parade, sponsored by the Southport Fire Department. Fire Chief Charles Drew says he looks forward to this near century-long tradition.
“We have grandparents that come now that say they rode the firetrucks in the 1950s and 1960s. So its been a tradition for generations and generations,” Drew said. “It allows everybody to ride the firetrucks in one of the most joyous times of the season.”
Another event you don’t want to miss, the “Winterfest Performing Arts.” This program is on Saturday, December 14th from 11 – 3 pm, sponsored by Up Your Arts. This year’s event, “Swingin’ into the Holidays,” features the Jake Beamer Holiday Quartet (Jake Beamer, Rich Zimmerman, Dillon Goodson, and Silas Siegler).
“Anytime the community can showcase different genres of music- the arts are so important to us as a whole — as a society, especially as turbulent as things are right now. So, something that all sorts of different folks can get behind that shows folks something they might not hear every day. It’s a different interpretation of holiday favorites.
To see the full list of activities to enjoy during Southport Winterfest 2024 click here.
