Upwards of 180 vendors occupied the streets of downtown Belton for the annual Christmas on the Chisholm Trail celebration on Saturday. Hosted by the City of Belton and the Downtown Belton Business Alliance, “An Old-Fashioned Christmas” came to life and ushered in the holiday season with shopping, musical performances and festive eats for the community to enjoy.
Toward the end of the event, a night parade made its way through the streets, and the community gathered to witness the magic of Christmas shine through the town.
Rebecca Gary and her children Kenzie-Marie and Kolt came early to land front row seats for the parade.
“This is actually, I mean I’ve lived in Belton my whole life, but this is my first time coming to see it myself and then my kids, too,” Gary said.
Beforehand, she and her family had the opportunity to walk around and experience all that the event had to offer.
“I really enjoyed it,” Gary said. “I wish I brought more cash with me, but it was really nice to get out.”
When asked what she was most looking forward to, Gary said she was excited to seeing her children’s faces when the parade began. As a lifetime member of the Belton community, she said events such as Christmas on the Chisholm Trail are great for bringing everyone together to embrace the holiday season.
“I think it’s nice to see everybody come out and enjoy it,” Gary said.
Those passing by Knicely Krack’d Pottery’s booth received snowflake charms made of clay from Linda Knicely and her friend, Patti Riley. Knicely works with pottery and glass, while Riley specializes in soaps and candles.
This was the third weekend in a row that Knicely participated in a craft show event, but she was eager to be back at Christmas on the Chisholm Trail following a brief hiatus from the local tradition. As one of the many vendors, Knicely said she looks forward to returning to the event next year.
“It’s tiring, but it’s nice because a lot of people look at the stuff and don’t realize that all this stuff is made here in Texas,” Knicely said. “It’s even nicer when people who are planning other events ask you to be a vendor at their next event.”
Because the crowd changes every year, Knicely said she is hopeful that next year will bring even more traction to her booth.
“It keeps me busy, keeps me happy,” Knicely said.
