It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, or at least it will next weekend when Merrill kicks off its annual Christmas celebration weekend!

Summary of Christmas activities in Merrill:
•8th Annual Very Merrill Christmas Card are now on sale at the Merrill Area Chamber of Commerce. Christmas cards, limited edition signed prints and smaller prints are also available at the Chamber while supplies last. Once again Ted Nicholson’s artwork is featured for the 2018 card. Ted has been the artist for the past eight years and has depicted very different Merrill Christmas scene each time. The 2018 print depicts Sledding at Wilson Hill.

•Annual Downtown Customer Appreciation – Saturday, Dec. 1, kick off the holiday season with great shopping specials all day long. Shop keepers will be serving holiday treats and the Merrill High School chorus and band students will provide Music on Main, serenading shoppers on the streets and in downtown stores in the afternoon.

•Annual Lighted Christmas Parade – Saturday, Dec. 1, begins at West Main and South Genesee streets at 5 p.m. This year Santa will stop at Banker’s Square Pocket Park to light the Christmas Tree located next to Merrill Community Bank, then the parade units will continue, ending at the courthouse. This year’s headline sponsor is mBank. Lighted floats will officially kick off the holiday season.

•Christmas Window Decorating Contest – Dec. 1-5, come downtown, take a walk and view all the lighted, decorated Christmas windows. Shop owners are competing this year for the best decorated window! A group of judges will view the windows that week and the winner will be announced on Dec. 6. You can post your favorite window on the Merrill Chamber Facebook page.

•Park Lane Manor Luminaria – Saturday, Dec. 1 immediately following the parade, cross the Center Avenue bridge and head to the Park Lane neighborhood across the street from Good Samaritan Hospital for the annual luminaria tour. Thousands of luminaries line the streets of the neighborhood. Drive through in your vehicle or take a wagon ride to view the luminaries and Christmas decorations. Stop in at Assisi Hall at Bell Tower before or after the ride to warm up with hot chocolate, hot cider, popcorn and cookies and visit with Santa. A free will donation is encouraged.

•O’Tannenbaum Tour – Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 1st and 2nd, enjoy an annual tour of decorated trees filled with magic and wonder at the O’Tannenbaum Tour at St. Stephen’s UCC Church. Plenty of fun for the family; tour the decorated Christmas trees and enter the raffles for the decorated trees, gift baskets and wreaths. Cost is $3 for adults, $1 for children 6-12, under age 5 free.

•Breakfast with Santa – Saturday, Dec. 8, the Merrill Park and Recreation Department along with Merrill Youth Hockey, Merrill Optimist Club and Merrill Octagon Club will be serving breakfast with at the Smith Center from 8–11 a.m. Bring your cameras for pictures with Santa. To reserve a spot call the Merrill Park and Recreation Department at 715-536-7313.

•Gingerbread House Construction – Dec. 14 & 18 come to T.B. Scott Library from 3:15-5:15 p.m. to create a gingerbread house. Kids under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.