Mount Pleasant comes together for 2019 Christmas Celebration
For 26 years, the Mount Pleasant Christmas Celebration has always aimed to showcase the city's true potential; utilizing holiday spirit, lights and live reindeer, a "college town" adapts itself into a frost-tinted fantasy.
The two-day event has attracted more than 8,000 participants annually. With the assistance of more than 100 volunteers, downtown businesses and city employees, the occasion features a variety of events, from a pancake breakfast with Santa Claus, hayrides, a "Jingle All the Way 5K" run and a special parade.
The planning for the event doesn't just stay in the wintertime, though. Carol Moody, a coordinator at the Mount Pleasant recreation department, said it’s a year-long process to plan and coordinate the celebration. During that time, she saves spots in the parade for entrants, gets donations from local businesses and books reindeer and Santa.
From Dec. 6-7, Mount Pleasant welcomed people to "come and wander the streets of downtown Mt. Pleasant as the glow of holiday lights settles upon the city, with the scent of pine boughs and kettle-corn floating in the air," via the celebration's Facebook page.
For seniors Timothy Pendell and Jordan Bell and Spring 2019 alumnus Justin Torrez, the festivities embodied essentially everything they love most about Christmas: children playing freely throughout the snow, equally new and longtime friends coming together and pretending final exams don't exist.
"This is our first time really attending a city-run event. Although downtown is only minutes away from campus, I feel like we never see or think about what's going on because it's never right in front of our faces," Pendell, a Fenton native, said.
By the power of Facebook, Pendell said his group was able to escape the stressfulness of finals to experience something "really special," even if it was only for an evening.
Bell, of Rose City, said life at Central Michigan University has programmed her to view downtown as a place where college students go to enjoy discounted well drinks and devour hot dogs from Dog Central at 1:30 a.m.
Instead, she said the cheerfulness showed her a place abundant in magic, good company and the type of togetherness only the holiday season can guarantee.
Friday, Dec. 6:
The Mount Pleasant Celebration kicked off with an hour-long Sing-Along from the Mountain Town Singers and the Mount Pleasant High School Chamber Singers. They lead a crowd by Pisanello's Pizza through holiday classics like "Jingle Bells," and "White Christmas."
After the sing-along, Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Joseph counted down from ten to turn on the lights on the Christmas tree on the corner of Main and Broadway streets. The tree went alight with multi-colored bulbs as a crowd cheered. Many people went to take pictures in front of the tree afterward.
Joseph said he's been attending the celebration since 2014 and likes seeing the big crowds come out for the celebration.
“The holiday season brings people together in ways that are not really replicated during the rest of the year,” Joseph said. "Especially here in Michigan where the weather is a little colder outside and people bond together."
Holland senior Becca Brunis said she's been going for a few years and comes back to de-stress during finals week. She said she likes seeing Mount Pleasant and CMU come together.
Mount Pleasant community member Julie Fortino said the tree was beautiful and likes to bring her children out to the activities. She also said the celebration is a good way to bring people out during the winter.
"In the wintertime, everyone is cooped up," Fortino said. "So it's something to do outdoors with other people."
Saturday, Dec. 7:
The Christmas parade featured a variety of floats, from individuals dressed up as beaming Christmas trees for the GreenTree Cooperative Grocery, Central Moto Sports towing an ornamented screening of 1983's "Christmas Story" to Listening Ear, a social services organization, reeling a tunnel of white lights and an inflatable polar bear dressed up as Santa.
Kids gather for a picture with props during the Candy Cane Lane event Dec. 7 at the Veterans Memorial Library.
Gladwin senior Kaitlyn Wangler, who transferred to Central this fall, said she couldn't help but be drawn to the lights glimmering below her downtown apartment.
Sharing a plaid blanket with her roommate in the 28-degree weather, Gladwin aligned the passing parade with her soon-to-conclude career as an undergrad.
"It was just very nice and very whimsical," she said. "I can honestly not imagine a better way to end both my first and last year at Central, (especially with) Christmas being my favorite holiday."
As a red trailer carrying a Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus rolled through East Broadway Street, Gladwin bolted to the warmth of her apartment to return to studying.
Morgan Brassard, a 38-year-old Mount Pleasant local, has been prioritizing the parade for more than 15 years.
"Each and every year, this is really my big introduction to Christmas," she said. "It really shows off that we have our own, special sense of magic in Mount Pleasant and reminds everyone that, at the end of the day, this season is all about being surrounded by the people you love and togetherness."
Hayrides take place on Broadway Street Friday, Dec.6, in downtown Mount Pleasant.
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