Erika Spence: Season's greetings

The lights have been strung around the light poles along Park Avenue, baristas are concocting peppermint mochas at Barnie’s CoffeeKitchen, and the Winter Park Village has a little elf playing hide-and-seek at the retail center – it must be time for the holidays!

There is no shortage of opportunities to get in the spirit of the season, and the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra’s Holiday Pops Concert this past weekend was a terrific way to kick off the holidays. In case you missed it, local merchants, arts and cultural groups, and even the Chamber of Commerce have a variety of events to fill your calendar.

You might not know that the local business community, through the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, is responsible for two important traditions: the Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony and the Winter Park “Ye Olde Hometown” Christmas Parade. In other communities it might be a function of a municipality or the undertaking of a civic club, but in Winter Park, these holiday favorites are an opportunity for local businesses to give back to a community that supports them year-round. Come down to Central Park and celebrate the season on Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. with the lighting of the holiday tree, live on WFTV Channel 9. Then, come back on Dec. 1 for the parade, which features a variety of 100 different marching bands, floats, local dignitaries and dance troupes beginning at 9 a.m. Before and after the parade, Leadership Winter Park will be serving up pancakes and sausage as a fundraiser for local elementary schools at the Central Park stage. Can’t make it out this weekend? Read up on all the events happening downtown at ExperienceParkAvenue.com/holidays and plan some time to enjoy the sights and sounds of the season.

Shop Till You Drop

Red Bag Days and Small Business Saturday kicked off the local holiday shopping season, each attracting patrons to our downtown. Red Bag Days brought people from across Central Florida to discover the unique shops of Park Avenue, like Timothy’s Gallery and The Ancient Olive. Both stores also participated in Small Business Saturday, along with many other locally owned small businesses.

If you’re still in need of some local retail shopping, many stores have extended hours during the holidays, including during the Merchant Open House on Dec. 14. Park Avenue will be lined with luminaries, stores will serve light refreshments and, as an extra incentive, many will donate a portion of their proceeds to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.

Election Season Continues

The holiday season is also a chance to show some love to your favorite businesses, and not just with your wallet. While you’re in downtown for a special event, dinner party or shopping, be sure to take note of the decorated store windows. See one you really like? Cast your vote in the Holiday Window Contest at cityofwinterpark.org from Dec. 1 – 31. There is also a new ‘best of’ local business contest going on right now called The Ovations. It’s a chance for you to vote for your favorite local businesses in 52 categories, which may seem daunting, but take a minute, read the categories and before you know it your fingers will be nominating the best places to shop, dine and enjoy life in our community. Voting is open now through Jan. 2, 2013 at surveymonkey.com/s/WinterParkOvations

Erika Spence is the senior director of marketing and communications at the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce.