Dec 11, 2019 3 min read

Christmas and Canonsburg are synonymous, almost interchangeable at this point.

It seems hard to believe that it was just last year the borough hosted one of the largest holiday celebrations in the community in years. It feels like one of those longtime traditions that falls into place each year, hardworking elves behind the scene making it all appear effortless.

Seeing lights along all of downtown with decorated windows is magical. There’s really nothing that compares to that glow under fresh snowfall.

The holiday season means so much to me because I too come from a town that does Christmas big-time. Each November, Cambridge, Ohio, is visited by Dickensian characters that grace the sidewalks and storefront windows.

The Dickens Victorian Village comes every winter, and the characters stay into the new year. This is the 14th year of the remarkable public art effort. Visitors come in by the busload to stroll the city’s main streets.

Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit, the town crier, groups of carolers, school children and Father Christmas all have their places among the old English townspeople. The county courthouse is also illuminated, with a coordinated light show set to holiday classics and modern favorites alike. Baubles in the trees flash, and strings of lamps in the windows twinkle, brightening the faces of viewers with light and joy.

I have so many fond memories of driving into town – I was a right country kid after all – “town” was a good 30 minutes’ drive – to see the lights on Christmas Eve with my mom, dad and sister. As I grew older, my boyfriend, now fiancé, accompanied us to see what small town Christmas was all about. I’ll cherish these cold nights as a family forever.

Because of this, communities that take the time to make the holiday season unique to visitors and residents alike mean a lot to me. There is nothing like a village coming together to make enchantment happen. It doesn’t matter if you’re 8-years-old or 80. The spirit is infectious.

So if you’ve got a spare weekend for a 90-minute jaunt to Ohio to see how another quaint town celebrates the holiday season, I highly recommend it. Take a thermos of hot chocolate and pick an evening so you can catch the courthouse light show with Buddy the Elf.

But of course, nothing compares to home.

Happiest of holidays this season to you and all of those you hold dear. Make memories that will last a lifetime.