×

Holiday cheer in Newport

JANELLE PATTERSON The Marietta Times Santa Claus sits with Jolena Hart, 7 months, of Newport, during the Newport Hometown Christmas event Thursday.

NEWPORT-For the 10th year Newport area residents gathered for a little holiday cheer Thursday in the community room of the volunteer fire department.

“We’ve had 14 stops with all of the merchants every year before this,” said Newport Hometown Christmas organizer Becky Felton. “But since this was our 10th anniversary we thought we’d do it a little different with just one stop to get everybody together.”

And the room was packed with merchants lining the walls and families gathering for hot dogs, sloppy joes, cookies and of course the three staples of the night: face paint, Santa Claus and the coloring contest.

“It’s become a family tradition for us to come to this,” said Misty Hart, of Newport, after making sure her daughter got to sit on Santa’s lap. “We come for the raffles and the food but also to see people.”

Elijah Hendrix went specifically for the face paint and dinner.

JANELLE PATTERSON The Marietta Times Organizer Becky Felton serves food at Newport's Hometown Christmas event Thursday.

“I got my face made into Flash because he’s fast,” said the 4-year-old from Newport.

“The face painting is always a hit with the kids,” said Felton. “It’s a lot of fun, not only for them but the elderly too, all that joy in one room. And the kids are pretty proud when they win the coloring contest.”

Cannon Thomas, 4, of Newport, was hard at work coloring in his reindeer Thursday.

“But now I want to show Santa my glasses,” he told his mother Linsee, 28.

“This is our first time coming,” said Linsee. “It’s great though to get out and see the community and it’s nice to enjoy each other for Christmas.”

JANELLE PATTERSON The Marietta Times Cannon Thomas, 4, of Newport, talks with his mother Linsee about his coloring of a reindeer after getting his face painted at the Newport Hometown Christmas event Thursday.

Felton, who had the idea for event 10 years ago, said this year the night came together easily.

“But we are looking for some younger folks to take it on too,” she said. “It’s just a neat thing to have, all of the other towns up and down the river have something, a parade or a lighting or something so I thought we should too.”

And with prizes for pie baking, house decorating and other drawings, Felton said she hopes the tradition continues for many years to come.

At a glance:

≤ The 10th annual Newport Hometown Christmas took place Thursday at the volunteer fire department’s community building.

≤ Sponsors of the event were:

≤ 93R Radio.

≤ B&J Carry Out.

≤ Brady’s Pest Control.

≤ Country Cuts Beauty Salon.

≤ Dan’s Residential & Commercial Cleaning.

≤ Doggie Do’s.

≤ E. B. Machine Shop.

≤ Frontier High School FFA.

≤ Frontier Insurance Agency, Inc.

≤ Haessly Hardwood Lumber Company.

≤ J.E.T. Water Well Drilling.

≤ Joy Exterminators.

≤ Julie’s Hair Styling.

≤ Newport Baptist Church.

≤ Newport Church of Christ.

≤ Newport’s Gold.

≤ Newport United Methodist Church.

≤ Newport Volunteer Fire Department.

≤ Oopsa Daisy Florist.

≤ Par Mar.

≤ Pine Ridge Construction.

≤ Riverview Auto Parts & Auto Sales.

≤ Rod King’s Barber Shop.

≤ Ruble Insurance Agency.

≤ Rutherford Heating & Cooling.

≤ The Jug.

≤ That Little Cake Shoppe, LLC.

≤ The Peoples Savings Bank, Newport Branch.

Source: Organizer Becky Felton.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.15/week.

Subscribe Today