The Town of Mount Airy has canceled its community Christmas celebration this year due to concerns over frigid weather and COVID.
Habersham County is expected to experience some of its coldest temperatures of the year this week as a winter storm sweeps eastward from the Great Lakes. Temperatures will drop into the 20s tonight through Wednesday and are expected to be still hovering near freezing on Thursday when the town’s celebration was scheduled.
Mount Airy officials considered moving the outdoor celebration indoors to City Hall, but organizers say people would still have been left out in the cold. “We can only have so many people inside due to state [COVID-19] restrictions,” explains City Manager Tim Jarrell.
Last year well over 120 people attended Christmas in Mount Airy, which typically includes lighting the town Christmas tree, caroling, and visits with Santa.
“We would just hate to see somebody with their 6-year-old waiting to see Santa out in the cold,” Jarrell says. “It was a very difficult decision for the mayor and council to make, but in the end, it was the best way we felt we could take care of our citizens.”
This is the third communitywide event Mount Airy has had to cancel this year due to COVID. The town also canceled its Cities Day celebration and Fall Festival.
Other Christmas events in Habersham County are still scheduled to occur this week, including the county Christmas parade Tuesday in Clarkesville.
For an updated list of holiday happenings, see Now Habersham’s event calendar.
