Christmas in Downtown St. George
Christmas in Downtown St. George
The weather outside may be frightful…which here in St. George means the thermometer likely has dropped into the 50’s… but the lights bordering Main Street and strung throughout St. George Town Square are vibrant.
Lights; twinkling in trees, entwining poles, and formed into a thirty-foot Christmas tree make night in downtown St. George come alive with the feeling of Christmas. Tasteful decorations and lights dance in the splash pad fountains animating Town Square. Children ohh and ahh over the spectacle of thousands of lights as families stroll through the active park.
Everywhere you look in historic downtown St. George, the dark of night gives way to colorful Christmas lights. Indulge in a hot cocoa. Try a pizza at Rigatti’s, or a quinoa dish from the Twisted Noodle. Give in to your inner child with some good old-fashioned soda fountain and candy treats and turn of the century ambience at Judd’s General Store.
The Washington County Historical Society records, “Judd’s is the oldest ongoing business establishment in St. George, Utah. The building was constructed and opened in 1911 in front of the house Thomas Judd purchased from Joseph Bentley in 1908 and across the street from the new Woodward School. It was built of the same thickness of locally manufactured adobes that had been used in the Judd home.”
Wander the pathways through the beautiful Green Gate Village complex next to Judd’s for an architectural sense of an 1800’s Christmas and check out some of the many fun business’ inside. Look across the street at the lights in Town Square.
You will find the shops downtown delightfully less crowded than the big stores this time of year.
The St. George Art Museum is featuring Layered Voices by SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) and Paper Trail by artist, filmmaker, author; Robert Perkins until March 9, 2019. There will also be a winter solstice luminary festival event, Light the Night, on December 21st from 5:30-8:30pm.
Admission to the museum is $3. You can find the museum at the north end of Main Street across from the Main St. Post Office. The building began as a sugar beet seed storage facility in pioneer days. It has been completely renovated into a comfortable and elegant art museum.
If you become hungry on your walk from one end of Main Street St. George to the other, you can satisfy your cravings at George’s Corner Grill, Benja’s Thai restaurant, The Pizza Factory, or the Painted Pony, all located in Ancestor Square at the corner of Main Street and St. George Boulevard.
Taking a walk along Main Street is like stepping back in time to a less complicated period when Christmas was a time to relax, celebrate and enjoy the season. When everyone you passed on the street hailed you with “Merry Christmas,” and the aroma of spiced cider hung in the winter air. If you have the time, take a break from holiday preparations and visit downtown St. George during this festive season.
