Future of Downtown Country Christmas to be discussed at June 27 meeting

By Editor | June 14, 2023 |

By Carissa Sitki

With the departure of Downtown Country Christmas Festival (DCCF) Inc. President Michael Ward, the future has been rather unclear for the beloved Jerseyville tradition.

A meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 27, at 6:30 p.m. to decide DCCF’s fate. Will there be a Downtown Country Christmas Festival in 2023? The answer to that question will be determined at the meeting which will be held at the Feyerabend Building, located at 201 E. Spruce in Jerseyville.

Cathie Ward, who’s been involved in the event since it was founded said that the event has been popular with children in the community and “we would hate to see this end.

“Children love the festival, parents enjoy the fact that all activities are free, and everyone has been very complimentary of City Park the last two years,” said Cathie Ward. “We would hate to see this end, but we must have more help to continue these holiday traditions.”

Over the years, some people have believed that the City of Jerseyville is responsible for putting on the festival, but that is not the case. According to DCCF organizers, although the city offers monetary support (as does the county and Jersey County Business Association) and some help with labor, it is a volunteer-run event. DCCF is a non-profit organization that plans and provides the volunteers needed for the hundreds of hours of work that go into Downtown Country Christmas.

“The city has supported the festival from the very beginning, and we appreciate everything they do for us,” said Cathie Ward. “However, due to their own workload, they are limited to helping primarily when heavy equipment is needed.”

That’s why DCCF Inc. is looking for volunteers, as well as a couple of people to serve on its board (one other DCCF board member besides Michael Ward will not be on the board this year).

“Two of our board members are stepping down this year,” Cathie Ward said. “One has moved to St. Louis. The other wishes to focus on her business and other areas of her life. We understand that and appreciate their many years of hard work. But now we need a couple of enthusiastic and dedicated individuals to fill those spots.”

DCCF was founded by a group of businesspeople who, with guidance from the board of the Jersey County Business Association, wanted to spread Christmas spirit by hosting a free holiday event for local families.

Those who attended the first DCCF in 2015 enjoyed the live entertainment, photos with Santa, games sponsored by the Jerseyville Public Library, a matinee of The Polar Express at the Stadium Theater, and a live Nativity sponsored by Bethel Baptist Church – all offered at no charge. Local restaurants sold food, Jersey County Business Association (JCBA) members hosted a bake sale, and a handful of crafters and vendors sold goods.

According to organizers, due to the success of the event over the past eight years, “the event has steadily grown in both scope and popularity.”

The event has added a lot of new features over the years and it’s a community effort. Santa now arrives to DCCF by helicopter; bounce houses, slides, and games fill City Center Park and the adjacent parking lot; the official City Christmas tree is lit; the Tri-County Antique Club offers hayrides; a parade makes its way from City Center Park to June Street for the initial lighting of City Park; and crafters and vendors crowd the Father Hembrow Center. The Stadium Theater still offers a free matinee and children can visit the “North Pole Post Office” to write a letter to Santa and receive a reply.

Bright Nights is also an integral part of the festival. It is responsible for the Christmas tree planters that line State Street, nearly a dozen holiday window displays in Jerseyville’s business district, and the lights and decorations that brighten the Jersey County Courthouse, as well as those City and Rotary Parks throughout the holidays.

According to DCCF organizers, volunteers are responsible for all of the aforementioned work and the group “really felt the pinch last year” with Michael Ward not being able to help as much. Michael Ward, who helped found DCCF and the non-profit by the same name, took a job with the Reparatory Theatre of St. Louis. Michael Ward had originally hoped to continue playing a major role in DCCF, but his new schedule made it impossible.

Beth McGlasson and her husband, Dennis, have helped with the festival for several years and said that Michael Ward’s absence was felt immediately.

“Michael’s absence was a wakeup call. I certainly didn’t realize how much of the load he was carrying until he was no longer available,” said Beth McGlasson. “He dedicated an incredible amount of time to the festival.”

Lindsey Miller, who, along with Karyssa Soer, obtains and organizes volunteers for the day of the festival spoke to the difficulty in securing volunteers to operate games.

“It has gotten harder and harder every year to get enough volunteers to cover the games,” said Miller. “We have been lucky to have Girl Scout Troop 77, FFA, and Jersey County Fair queens cover multiple games. We always struggle to get all the games covered.”

According to DCCF organizers, the Middle School Blue Crew brought some much needed relief to the event planning when they helped wrap the trees at City Park in one morning– it took two people more than a week to accomplish the year before.

“The kids had a great time wrapping those trees, and we were amazed at how much they accomplished in just a few hours,” said Beth McGlasson. “Just imagine what we could accomplish if local churches, businesses, youth groups, clubs, organizations, families, groups of friends, etc. would volunteer just one or two mornings or afternoons of help.”

Those who are interested in volunteering for DCCF, but are not able to provide physical support can help out in many other ways. The organization has many tasks that don’t require physical labor, such as soliciting donations, sponsors, and volunteers, handling publicity, etc.

If you cannot attend the meeting, but have a question, or would like to volunteer to help with the festival, email [email protected].