The Christmas season has officially kicked off in Dripping Springs last week with the city’s annual tree lighting ceremony this past weekend.
The festivities began with the tree lighting on Friday, Dec. 2, at dusk and then continued the next day with the daylong Christmas on Mercer festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Both events are hosted by the City of Dripping Springs and the Dripping Springs Lions Club.
The Christmas on Mercer festival took over downtown Dripping Springs. Both Mercer Street, Dripping Springs' main street, and Old Fitzhugh Road were closed to vehicle traffic, allowing shoppers to meander about and check out vendor booths and local shops. Items for sale included everything from crafts to decorations, art, handcrafted furniture, clothing, food and beverages.
Activities for all ages were also aplenty. For children, Christmas on Mercer offered a petting zoo, a trackless train, pony rides and even an (artificially) snowy playground. Young ones also had the opportunity to meet not only Santa and Mrs. Claus but the Grinch as well. For teenagers and adults, in addition to the shopping, food and beverage opportunities, holiday-themed live-music and performances ran throughout the day on Mercer Street. These included local artists, school groups and extracurricular organizations.
For more information on the event (and to follow it for next year), visit the event’s Facebook page at facebook.com/christmasonmercerstreet.