With live reindeers, carriage rides, roasted chestnuts and a parade featuring Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Saturday’s Christmas in the Heart of Charleston made the town feel a little bit more like Christmas.

The event, a 13-year tradition on the square, drew many visitors in spite of the cold.

“I think it was a great turnout. We had a large crowd during the parade,” said Karen Peterson, Charleston Tourism member and co-chair for the Christmas in the Heart of Charleston committee. “I think the weather has caused a lot of people to do some things and then go on home . I don’t think it was this cold last year.”

In addition to Santa Claus, the parade featured the Grinch, Santa’s elves, Rudolph, Miss Coles County, and a live reindeer

The parade’s grand marshal was Eastern President Bill Perry, who was joined by his wife, Linda.

Many of the stores on the square had live-action windows, featuring real people performing for onlookers.

The Candy Cane Lane dancers performed a dance routine to holiday songs in the window of The Shirt Factory. In the window of RuffaloCODY, the Jacqueline Bennet Dance Center dancers performed various scenes of “The Nutcracker.”

The Charleston High School French and Spanish clubs sang Christmas carols in different languages.

Everything from the carriage rides to the roasted chestnuts were free.

And Christmas in the Heart of Charleston was not just for Charleston residents; Eastern students showed, as well.

“I heard about it through friends, and we just decided to come out and get out of the dorms to celebrate the holidays with friends,” said Cody Czmyr, sophomore family and consumer sciences major. “(The parade) was nice. It was small, quick and fun.”

Christmas in the Heart of Charleston was started in 1994, said Sally Cougill, one of the original organizers of the event and wife of former Charleston Mayor Dan Cougill.

“Back then, they didn’t really do much other than this older gentleman – who is now deceased – named Mr. Halsey who had a little sleigh, and he used to bring a Santa around the square,” Cougill said. “The high school pep band would stand on the courthouse steps and play a few tunes when Mr. Halsey would bring Santa around – and that was it. And I thought that was kind of sad.”

She convinced her husband to do something bigger to celebrate the holidays in Charleston.

Cougill said she thinks Christmas in the Heart of Charleston is an important event for the town.

“This is probably the most people you will see on the square on any given point in time,” Cougill said. “It gives the town the feeling of unity. And I think it is good for our citizens to come up on our square and just see the beauty of it.

So few of us see that anymore. It gives people a chance to step back in time . It’s a good family time, and it gives older people a chance to remember what this square was like when they were young.”

Tyler and James of boyscout troop 141 roast chestnuts for parade watchers in the Charleston square Saturday evening for “Christmas in the Heart of Charleston.” Robbie Wroblewski/The Daily Eastern News

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