It has been an incredible couple of weeks if you have been following the events highlighted in recent columns. For starters, the two downtown tree lightings with Santa were splendid, as Santa arrived alongside Mrs. Claus by fire truck in Brunswick this past Saturday, followed by horse-drawn carriage rides in the downtown while two choirs performed. In Bath, Santa arrived with high-fiving deer, a celebrity dog and a joyous, festive atmosphere. For Bath, it was the kickoff to the Old Fashioned Christmas Celebration (more on that below).

Also, the Midcoast Tree Festival was an overwhelming, record-breaking success! Thank you to all of the businesses, sponsors, volunteers and families who supported us with gifts, their time, their effort or just to spread the word about this great fundraising event. When we have final numbers in a week or so, I will tell a few stories about the impact that this event has for our entire region.

This week, I want to highlight a few more opportunities for you to engage in the community, both personally and professionally, starting with a wonderful downtown promotion in Bath.

Old Fashioned Christmas in Bath 2024: Woodland Wonderland

Annually, Main Street Bath organizes a five-week celebration in Bath that begins with Santa coming to town and ends with New Year’s bell ringing. Here are some of the highlights for this year, which is themed as a Woodland Wonderland.

Squirrel Scavenger Hunt: There are eight squirrels hidden in downtown businesses, and each week, if you can find them all, you can win Bath gift certificates. How it works is you pick up a squirrel tally form at either Bath Savings, Now You’re Cooking, First Federal Savings or Patten Free Library. Then you visit downtown businesses looking for the squirrels (named Rocky, Tipper, Isaac, Sparky, Leah, Boing, Bow Bow and Candy). Fill in your form with which squirrels are at which businesses and drop it in the red letter boxes on Front Street. Multiple winners will be drawn from the boxes on Dec. 6, Dec. 13 and Dec. 23, and the winners will receive gift certificates to use at over 60 Bath businesses. For details and squirrel biographies (not a joke), log onto visitbath.com.

Bright Night Bath, Dec. 6: A highlight every year is Bright Night Bath when many businesses stay open late (8 p.m. for most) and the air is filled with holiday cheer. Lots of that cheer comes from the outstanding voices and instruments that are a part of the Una Voce Chamber Choir, the Salvation Army Brass Band and the Second Chance Ukulele Band. You can also check out the snow globe, and it’s the first night of …

Trolley caroling, Fridays and Saturdays, 4-8 p.m.: Want to sing festive songs, as best you can, while on a trolley? Then this is for you! First come, first served, from 4-8 p.m. with the first pick-up spot at City Hall in Bath. No tickets are required. Runs Dec. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21.

Downtown Day, Dec. 14: The second Saturday is Downtown Day featuring breakfast with Santa at J.R. Maxwells, the ATV parade, two “hoot-portunities” to meet a live owl thanks to Chewonki and a live performance in the pocket park the Midcoast Cellista’s. Full details and times available on visitbath.com.

Paul Revere Bell Ringing, New Year’s Eve, 11:45 a.m. Finally, the celebration ends by welcoming in the new year as just before noon people gather to hear the annual proclamation of the City Council chairperson, the Bath Citizen of the Year rings the bell at noon, and both the 12 Days of Bath Christmas and Auld Lang Syne are sung (lyrics provided).

Holiday After Hours, Darling’s Brunswick Ford, Dec. 5, 5-7 p.m.

Our monthly Chamber After Hours always goes seasonal in December as our hosts like to get us in the holiday spirit. This year, we will once again be having our “chamber office party” at Darling’s Brunswick Ford on Bath Road in Brunswick, where we always have a wonderful turnout of members and friends. This Chamber After Hours is very much like our other monthly editions where we mingle, network, and have food and drink with each other before giving away door prizes. However, one of the things that makes this event special is some special Midcoast Tree Festival announcements. We will be announcing our Best of the Fest, which are the one wreath and three trees that garnered the most tickets (not including Mega Tree). Additionally, we will be giving out some of the incredible facts and figures including the number of gift cards, attendees and much more.

Chamber award nominations close this Thursday, Dec. 5

The other thing that happens at the Holiday After Hours is we close the nomination window for the Chamber Annual Awards presented in March at our Annual Awards Dinner. It is the season of giving, and I hope you will give some thought to who you believe is a worthwhile business or business leader who deserves recognition for spectacular acts they have done this year or ways they have supported the community.

You do not need to be in attendance to nominate a business or business leader; however, if you are present, you will be able to drop your nomination into the box provided at registration. You could also just as easily email me by Thursday at cory@midcoastmaine.com to nominate as many people as you would like and why you are nominating them.

Do not get caught up in the criteria, just give us the name of the person or business you find to be award worthy. If it helps, the award categories are:

• Joshua L. Chamberlain Award
• Citizen of the Year
• Harry C. Crooker Lifetime Achievement
• Nonprofit of the Year
• Small Business of the Year
• Large Business of the Year
• Young Professional of the Year
• Excellence in Entrepreneurship (New Business/Remodeled Business)
• Director’s Award
• President’s Award

Cory King is executive director of the Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber of Commerce.