During the later part of November and through the first two weeks of December, Christmas in Albany will be in full force.
Events such as the lighting of the Community Christmas Tree and worship service night, to the Christmas Parade, Winter Wonderland, and Albany Lights are all under the umbrella of Operation Hometown Christmas.

Christmas Pageants
On November 18, the Clinton County Fair Board will host the 2023 Hometown Christmas Pageant at the Clinton County Fairgrounds.
The baby show will begin at 10 a.m. with newborn to three years of age, and from there each category will follow the previous category, including the Tiny Miss and Mister Hometown Christmas, Little Miss and Mister Hometown Christmas, Sparkling Stars Hometown Christmas, Miss Preteen Hometown Christmas, Miss Teen Hometown Christmas and rounding out the afternoon will be the Miss Hometown Christmas category.
Applications for the pageant can be found on the Clinton County Fair Facebook page.

Christmas Worship Service
Moving on to the last week of November, on the 29th, starting at 5 p.m., the Christmas Worship Service will begin on Jefferson Street.
“What we want is for any church praise group or any choir who wants to be a part of that service,” Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent Christy Stearns said. “I’d love for the churches to have either their pastor or someone from the church, to read parts of the Christmas story. That part around Jefferson Street will culminate with the lighting of the Christmas Tree. It wouldn’t be a long service, that way churches wouldn’t have to cancel their regular services. They might have to delay for a little bit, but it is our goal to make it a worship event.”
Also on hand from 4:30 to 6:30 will be Santa Clause. He will be set up for photos at the Foothills Building.

Christmas Tree Court
New to the program this year will be a Christmas Tree Court located near the Foothills Building.
PTA President and Fair Board Member Sarah Browning said the event has more than 35 businesses and entries which is well above what organizers thought the event would attract in the first year.
“That will be where Santa Claus is,” Browning said. “People can walk over and check out all the trees. We will be awarding first, second and third judged by an outside judge and there will be first, second and third for the people’s choice.”
Browning said the Christmas Tree Court will carry through December 16.
“That way it will be there longer and people will have time to vote on those,” Browning said. “All of the information on the trees, as well as who sponsored the trees, will be displayed with the trees.”
With the trees being up until December 16, it will also give people who come to watch the parade on December 1, a chance to view them as well.

Christmas Parade
On Friday, December 1, the second annual Christmas Parade will get under way at 6 p.m. with lineup at 4 p.m. at Westview Shopping Center.
Parade applications can be picked up at the Fig Leaf, Davis Insurance, Clinton County Extension Office,  and First & Farmers Bank.
Categories include walkers, Christmas Characters, classic cars, trucks, tractors, floats,  and decorated golf carts. The deadline is turn in applications to be November 25.
The theme for this year’s parade is “Christmas Trees and Memories.”
“Of course Santa will be among the crowd, as well as Benny the Big Blue Elf,” Browning said.
While Benny the Big Blue Elf will be making his first appearance during the parade, he will start showing up around town on December 2 and stay in Albany until December 15.
“We will post those clues as always on the Extension Office Facebook page,” Stearns said.

Albany Lights
In conjunction with the parade, the Clinton County Community Foundation will be sponsoring Albany Lights, a vendor fair similar to the event hosted at the end of September called “Albany Nights.”
“Different from the Albany Nights event, we are going to offer a Winter Wonderland for the kids and Christmas Karoke,” Jessica Sullivan said.
Both of those event are going to be sponsored by Kelly Latham Remax, according to Sullivan.
The Winter Wonderland will consist of inflatables and other games for the youth to participate in.
“Everything will be set up on Cumberland Street and we will block off Jefferson Street for any of the classic cars that drove in the parade if they want to park to kind of show off their vehicles,” Sullivan said. “We will have food set up for people to purchase in the Foothills parking lot, along with a stage set up in front of the Albany Baptist Church for the karaoke.”

Christmas Village
On December 5 the Christmas Village will get underway at 5 p.m. and last until 7 p.m. at the Learning Center/ECC.
Over the years the Operation Hometown Christmas has grown. Starting out as a Clinton County Extension Office project,  and has since added other organizations like the Clinton County PTA, Clinton County Fair Board, Clinton County Salvation Army and the Clinton County Community Foundation.
“We were really excited just to have a Community Christmas Tree,” Stearns said. “Now we’ve seen there is so much more we want to offer and help the community. We want to recognize the good stuff that is here.”