Downtown businesses encourage everyone to shop locally and patronize our own city merchants, restaurants, and retail establishments.

By Suman Ganapathy

Suman Ganapathy

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We at the Morgan Hill Downtown Association wish you a sparkling holiday season and the perfect time to reconnect with your family and friends. May the upcoming new year be full of light and happiness for you and your loved ones.

December 2021 promises to be just as busy as the months since the June reopening of our community, which were chock-full of in-person events, which were well attended by everyone grateful and eager to get going again.

To get your festive mood to a running start, there are two events coming up soon. Ladies Night Out in Morgan Hill is from 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 2. We encourage everyone to shop locally and patronize our own city merchants, restaurants, and retail establishments.

Do not miss the special promotional offers, giveaways, and discounts. The event has been expanded this year to include three different shopping centers along the Monterey corridor, including downtown, Candy Park and the Vineyard Town Center businesses. All health and safety rules will be complied with, and non-food facilities will only serve pre-packaged commercially manufactured food.

Here is a peek into some of the fabulous specials you can look forward to during the Ladies Night Out:

Cinda Meister and Brad Jones of BookSmart bookstore at the Vineyard Town Center will ring in the holiday season with a Make Your Own Jingle Bell Necklace craft station and provide free samples of their Raaka unroasted dark chocolate made with oat milk.

Stems Floral, also at Vineyard, will present long-stemmed roses to each visiting lady.

Raquel Crowell of AR Workshop on Depot Street will give a 15 percent discount on all regular retail, and 50 percent on all clothing, along with their ongoing special holiday promotion of a free $15 gift card when you buy a $75 gift card. For details, see online.

Then join in the fun again two days later at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 4, for family time with the Morgan Hill Kiwanis and the city of Morgan Hill Annual Holiday Lights Parade.

Santa’s Magic Ship will be part of the parade and floats. It will culminate in the front of the Community and Cultural Center with the annual MHDA Lighting of the Tree event with Mayor Rich Constantine and Santa. After the lighting Santa will visit with children of the community to make their evening even more special.

As we all find new ways to connect and celebrate and reflect during this year and season, we will again keep the downtown lights burning brightly, and the holiday tree lit at the Community and Cultural Center. During this giving season, please consider contributing funds to keep the downtown lights on all year at www.mhdowntown.org.

Finally, a special huge thank you to our wonderful Morgan Hill community first responders, essential workers, businesses, and the city this holiday season.

Happy New Year, everyone.

Suman Ganapathy is a Leadership Morgan Hill Class of 2018 alum, AAUW President-elect, docent and chair, Morgan Hill Library, Culture and Arts Commission.