MINT HILL, NC – For many years the community has gathered together on a special day in December at Town Hall to celebrate the start of the Christmas holiday season by lighting the town tree. It has been a long-standing tradition, and it is always a very special time for friends and family to join together to sing, laugh, and welcome the joy that we all see in the holiday spirit. Much like many other events this year, the town was faced with deciding whether to continue this tradition. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the town made the decision to cancel the physical gathering for this event. Deciding this was not easy, but the town is not able to produce an event and ensure the safety of all per local and state guidelines.

A majority of this year’s events had to be canceled due to safety concerns. The town’s officials were able to revise a few events and celebrations over the last couple of months, and they have been a huge success.  As the holiday season neared, the staff knew that they were going to soon have to decide on one of the largest events that they host each year. They spent the last several weeks brainstorming on ways to be able to save the occasion and get people excited about bringing holiday cheer to all.  When planning the Christmas celebration they hope it will be just as successful as other events have been this year.

The holiday spirit will be in full swing in the Town of Mint Hill with many modified events and contests to bring the community together in a different, but still wonderful, way. Together with the community, they want to make sure that even though 2020 has been such a tough year for all that they will be able to make it a “December to Remember” for all the right reasons.

Here is what we all have to forward to in the coming month.

A virtual tree lighting event ceremony will be viewable on the Town of Mint Hill’s YouTube site. Make sure to join with your family to watch what is promised to be an Oscar-worthy production. Stay tuned to the town’s Facebook page and the Town’s website for the official date of the ceremony. It is not an event that the family and you will not want to miss.

On December 1, the Santa Mailbox will be placed at Town Hall. The mailbox will be direct access to the North Pole. Each letter that is placed in the mailbox that has a return address will receive a personal response directly from Santa.

Thursdays in December are going to be very special. Each Thursday from the 3rd to the 24th, Santa will be giving weekly video updates. The videos can be viewed on the town’s YouTube channel. A special event will be held on the last Thursday, December 24. Santa will be reading the story “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to all of the children of Mint Hill. Make sure to tune in each Thursday with your family.

Nothing says Christmas quite like Christmas decorations. This year, Mint Hill will be hosting a Christmas Decoration Contest. The contest is designed to bring the community together. It gives the town a chance to show its pride through decorating for the holiday season. The contest will be judged in two different categories, business and residential. Each category will have a winner for Best Overall Decorations and Best Front Door. Each winner will receive a cash prize of $250.00. Let’s make sure to have an outstanding number of participants this year!

Along with all the other wonderful events that are happening this month in the town, the Mint Hill Random Act of Kindness may be one of the most special events this year. Each day the town will be posting a random act of kindness that can be done in the community. These acts are ways that we can show each other how much we care. In the year that we have had, these acts could mean the world to the recipient. As the Mayor remarked, ”I ask everyone, if given a choice, choose to be kind.” As people participate, the town is asking that they post on the town’s Facebook page what random act they participated in and how it made them feel. If you receive a random act of kindness, please share as well.

The year 2020 has surely been one to remember. We may not all remember it positively, but as a community (and a wonderful one at that), the Town of Mint Hill is asking citizens to please stay positive, safe, and healthy during the holiday season. The modified events and contests are designed to bring holiday cheer to all even in times when we can not join together in fellowship.

A special “Thank You” from the Town of Mint Hill goes out to Atrium Health and Edifice, Inc. Their support has made it possible for the town to be able to “light up” with holiday cheer. The wonderful people at Create a Video also deserve a special thank you for capturing the magic of the holiday season during such difficult times.