The City of Gainesville‘s beloved Jingle Mingle is making its annual return to spread holiday cheer just in time for the 2022 holiday season.
Jingle Mingle is free to the community and will be on Saturday from 4-8 p.m. on the historic Gainesville square.
The event is hosted by Main Street Gainesville and will feature live music, family-friendly activities, carriage rides, and open house shopping on the square.
Nicole Parham with Main Street Gainesville and the organizer of the event said this year’s Jingle Mingle will be jam-packed with activities that the entire family can enjoy.
“You can expect carriage rides. Santa coming in on the firetruck for photos with Santa, open houses in all of the historic businesses downtown and we’ll have a kitty train,” Parham said.
Apart from activities children can enjoy, Jingle Mingle will also feature a s’mores station hosted by the Gainesville Fire Department, and of course, the annual Lighting of the Chicken that sits on top of the Mainstreet Marketplace Building.
“It’s really fun and quirky because most towns light up a Christmas tree and we light up a big metal chicken as the poultry capital of the world,” Parham said.
Besides its usual attractions, this year's Jingle Mingle will have a few new activities, such as a local stage for live entertainment and a Festival of Trees in the Gainesville Administration Building.
Live entertainment will include Brenau University’s Department of Dance at 4:15 p.m.; Amped Kids Foundation Inc. at 5 p.m. and Balthazar Grading at 5:45 p.m.
