EATON — The holiday season officially kicks off with Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 26, and moves into Christmas-oriented festivities on Friday, Nov. 27.
The 20th Community Thanksgiving Day Dinner will be served at Bruner Arena at the Preble County Fairgrounds in Eaton on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 26.
Every year, with the support of the Preble County community, the dinner serves hundreds of meals to local residents. The free meal will be served from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. It is a time for families and individuals to have a hot nutritious meal, and enjoy the fellowship of others as the holiday season kicks off.
The dinner is made possible through donations and help from many volunteers. The planning, preparation, set-up, clean-up etc. are all completed by volunteers but to make this happen sponsors help fund the meal costs.
Anyone who would like additional information, would like to volunteer, or who knows of someone who needs a meal delivered on Thursday, should contact the Community Action Partnership of Preble County at 937-456-2800, Ext. 202.
Thanks to the many volunteers who helped with the Community Thanksgiving Day Dinner each year, hundreds of people are served, either by eating at the arena, taking their meal home, or having a meal delivered to them.
Donations may be made to the Community Thanksgiving Day Dinner at any time. Make a check payable to Community Action Partnership Preble County and mail it to 308 Eaton Lewisburg Rd. Eaton, OH 45320. In addition, in the memo line indicate the donation is for the “Community Thanksgiving Day Dinner.”
White Christmas in Eaton
The 27th annual White Christmas Celebration in downtown Eaton will be held on Friday, Nov. 27, on the Preble County Courthouse Plaza.
The annual parade will usher Santa to town at 6 p.m. The event includes a ceremony and invocation, and performances by the Eaton High School band, Hollingsworth-East Elementary first graders, and Eaton Area Community Choir. One Eaton first grade girl and one boy will win a bicycle, donated by Rudy Roth of Ameriprise Financial and Vancrest Healthcare.
The evening will close with the singing of “White Christmas” and the lighting of the Christmas tree.
Hanging of the Greens in Lewisburg
The Trinity Lutheran Church in Lewisburg will be hosting the “Hanging of the Greens” on the first Sunday in Advent, Nov. 29, with the service set to begin at 7 p.m.
The service will being in silence and darkness as those in attendance await the “Light of Christ” symbolizing “Christ’s coming into a world of darkness 2,000 years ago.”
Once the Christ Candle is in place and the sanctuary is alight with the glow of candles, a reading explaining the history of all the favorite symbols of Christmas, congregational singing of carols and special music will take place.
By the end of the ceremony, the sanctuary is dressed in its Christmas finery and hearts are prepared to celebrate the true meaning of the season, according to church officials.
This is the sixth year for Trinity to offer this service as a Christmas gift to the community.
The service lasts approximately one hour, and will be preceded by a soup and sandwich supper in the multi-purpose room from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
There is no charge but donations will be accepted to cover the cost of the meal. Pre-service music will be presented in the sanctuary from 6:30 -7 p.m.
This year the men’s choir from Wares Chapel will be the featured musical group.
The church is located at 511 North Commerce Street, directly across the street from Tri County North Schools.
Parking is available on both the Commerce Street side and the Main Street side of the church, with the multi-purpose building located on the west, or Main Street side.
For more information or directions, call the church office at 962-2741. Everyone is welcome. Dress is casual.
