“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”

— Charles Dickens,

“A Christmas Carol”

The sights and sounds of the holiday season will be celebrated throughout Austin during a series of events called Christmas in the City. Organized by the Chamber for 26 years, Christmas in the City is at once a celebration of the holidays and community.

More than 90 businesses are included in the official calendar of events, published by the Chamber each year, many of whom join together for three major events: Christmas in the City Kickoff, Nov. 28, Christmas in the Northwest, Dec. 2 and Christmas in the Southwest, Dec. 4. But the calendar extends beyond business to promote civic organizations and the talent that Austin has to offer. Local musicians, dance and theater groups, and a variety of other residents are all part of the entertainment featured during Christmas in the City.

The Chamber promotes Christmas in the City as a means of generating traffic to key retail sectors of our community. Businesses participate as a way to showcase their stores and product lines while also saying “thank you” for your business. All events are designed to entertain and celebrate the holiday season with family and friends.

The calendar is extensive and provides many opportunities to get together and see what Austin has to offer. For more, visit the Chamber’s website at www.austincoc.com.

The holidays are a critical shopping season for all of our retailers, Chamber members and non-members. We promote all businesses who choose to participate in Christmas in the City because they are all important to our community.

There has been much discussion in recent weeks about the importance of supporting local businesses, both large and small. It’s a message the Chamber supports and has promoted for years through its Buy Mower, Grow Mower campaign: “For every local purchase there is a local purpose.”

Christmas in the City offers a great opportunity for everyone to come together and celebrate our community, as well as take a closer look at what local businesses have to offer. We think you will be pleased to find that you can not only fill your shopping list right here at home, but also take pride in knowing that dollars spent here remain here to help further build our community.

So join in the celebration that is Christmas in the City. And remember the words that Mr. Dickens wrote, all those years ago, to “honor the spirt of Christmas” by supporting your friends and neighbors throughout the coming year.