LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
The holiday season in Edgar County is truly something special. Thanks to the dedication of local organizers and volunteers events like Christmas in Paris have become an eagerly anticipated tradition, filled with festive activities that bring the community together. This year, Christmas in Paris is Nov. 30.
From breakfast with Santa to a zip line across the town square, the event is packed with fun for the whole family, but the event isn’t just about the fun holiday activities—it’s about the spirit of the community which makes everything possible.
“There’s a lot in one day, and it is a lot of fun. So much work goes into it all,” Cassondra Dobelstein, executive director of The Paris Area Chamber of Commerce, said. “It’s a totally free event. If it wasn’t for all of the community involvement, things like this wouldn’t be able to happen. It’s important to get our families out there and get involved in things like this. We’re lucky that, as a small town, we can still do something like this.”
Behind every event is a lot of hard work and dedication. For the team behind Christmas in Paris, a large part of the planning and preparing relies on the generosity of local businesses and community members. The Paris Area Chamber of Commerce takes the lead on many of the elements, including decorating, organizing and collecting sponsorships.
Every year, local business and individuals can become a named sponsor for the event. Sponsorships begin at a “friendship” level and go all the way to “platinum.” “We strongly depend on sponsorships. If the funds aren’t covered, we wouldn’t be able to have experiences like this available for free,” Dobelstein said.
Christmas in Paris has grown steadily over the years. Dobelstein recognized the difculty to make the event “bigger and better” each year, but is still determined to consistently improve.
“I love feedback. There’s always room for improvement,” she said.
Not only is the holiday season being ushered into Paris, but two similar events also take place next month. Christmas in Chrisman kicks off on Dec. 4 and Christmas in Kansas happens on Dec. 14.