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Springboro festival first to kick off the holidays

Three-day event will be held in the city’s historic downtown.

Helen Sproat is the last member of a group of local merchants who launched the Christmas in Historic Springboro Festival 23 years ago.

Staff photo by Lawrence Budd Helen Sproat is the last member of a group of local merchants who launched the Christmas in Historic Springboro Festival 23 years ago.

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By Lawrence Budd, Staff Writer Updated 9:07 PM Wednesday, November 18, 2009

SPRINGBORO — South Main Street is closed to traffic at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 20, in observance of the 23rd annual Christmas in Historic Springboro Festival.

For two days, as many as 50,000 people walk the stretch of Ohio 741 that originally comprised the center of this sprawling community, founded 200 years ago. It is one of the area’s first celebrations of the approaching holiday season.

On Sunday, Nov. 22, in downtown Middletown, this city will kick off its holiday season with the 5th annual Holiday Affair On The Square.

Holiday bazaars, lighting displays and other events are kicking off this weekend, but the season is just getting started.

“People aren’t completely in the Christmas spirit,” said Helen Sproat, the last of a handful of local merchants who conceived of the Springboro festival as a way to attract shoppers soon to be wooed by more elaborate festivities at area malls.

“Heaven knows, we get good crowds,” said Sproat, festival grand marshal and head of the local historical museum.

Billed as the area’s last three-day festival of the year, this year’s only addition is the Franklin High School marching band.

Back again is Denny Dalton, Warren County’s official town crier; an encampment of Civil War re-enactors; a Great Horned Owl and wild cats from the Cincinnati Zoo. A tent of free activities caters to kids.

“It doesn’t change that much. We’ve found things people like,” Sproat said.

About 50 vendors will be selling crafts and other goods, 23 offering a range of food and beverage options.

Traffic will be rerouted around this busy section of road and volunteers will begin setting up.

Middletown’s festival of its downtown art district runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday.

The Springboro festival closes at 5 p.m., Sunday.

“To me it’s fun,” said Wendell Weimer, president of the festival committee, who drives in from Darke County to participate.

“We seem to be all ready to go. Some sunny weather, 60 degrees, that’s all we ask for,” he said.

Christmas in Historic Springboro

When: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday; noon to 5 p.m., Sunday.
Where: South Main Street (Ohio 741), south of Ohio 73 [Map]
For more information, on this and other holiday happenings check out our events section

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