Christmas in Columbus

The Christmas season in Columbus is truly all about giving.
You don’t need to go farther than the showroom at Beartooth Ford for evidence of that.
For the fourth consecutive year, Wes and Tonya House have opened their business to be one of the coolest type of collection spots for donated toys and other goodies -- the bed of a new Ford F-150 truck.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the donations were piled high and deep. All the goods go to the fairgrounds where on Sunday Project Hope’s Kids Shopping day will take place.
From 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. kids in kindergarten through fifth grade can purchase up to five gifts for the single cost of $2. It is traditionally a highly attended event.
Also underway is Project Hope’s Angel Tree program. As explained by Executive Director Marcia Spano, the program involves matching angels with kids who are in need of something for Christmas. It is done anonymously so all an “angel” knows is the child’s age, size and wish list.
“The gifts are then given to the parents in big black plastic bags during Christmas week so that they can wrap them and present them to their kids,” said Spano.
Project Hope is also accepting donations for Christmas dinner boxes that will be distributed on Dec. 22.
Community events being held this weekend include Friday’s Columbus Christmas parade, the theme of which is “Christmas Traditions.”
Santa will be at Beartooth Ford from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., with the annual chili feed from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the start of the parade slated for 7 p.m.
Santa will also be at Perceptions Hair Salon from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Compassionate Friends of Stillwater Valley will be selling raffle tickets at the Parade of Lights at Victory Chapel on Dec. 4. This is a fundraiser for the sculpture the group is planning to place in the Forever Memorial Garden at Heritage Park in Columbus.
Friday’s high is expected to hit 46 degree with a low of 22 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.