November and December are two of the most fun months, and that includes this weekend in Newberry. The Veterans Day Parade is Saturday at 10 a.m. and will include salutes to veterans from many decades, the National Guard, bands from Mid-Carolina High and Newberry High and much more. We appreciate the American Legion continuing this great tradition in Newberry.
Later Saturday, Newberry College football will take on Wingate for the conference championship, and a big crowd is expected for the 3:30 p.m. nationally televised contest. (Channel 57-2 locally).
The holiday season gets an exciting start downtown with the Main Street Lights celebration Nov. 18. There will be choirs, street musicians, a free movie at the Ritz, and we’ll have the Christmas tree lighting celebration at 6:30 p.m. WIS-TV’s Robb Ellis will broadcast live from downtown. It will be a fun evening.
Thanks to all who contributed to Main Street Lights and to Christina and Sean Pomeroy for leading this year’s campaign.
A new, very pretty business downtown is Olwen-McKenna’s Tea Room at 1309 Main St. beside Making It Personal. In addition to serving tea, owners Suzzanne Westbrook and her niece, Rachel Mayyou, also serve lunch with things like wraps and a popular chicken salad.
Suzzanne’s mother was from Wales in Great Britain so Suzzanne grew up having tea and is excited to offer this in Newberry. They’ll also be open during Main St. Lights and will be glad for people to stop in.
Other new businesses downtown are Father and Son Barber Shop, owned by Keith Gartman, at 1414 Main St. and Carolina Styles hair salon on Harrington Street.
Thank you for supporting our downtown businesses. They got a great start to the fall season with an estimated 26,000 coming to Oktoberfest. Our restaurants and stores throughout the city are ready for an exciting Christmas season, which will include “North Pole Nights” with snow and Santa downtown every December Friday night and the Newberry Opera House with a full slate of shows.
In the Wilson Road area, Taco Bell has made much progress in its construction, and Montgomery and Riddle Eye Care moved into its new office. In the islands on Main Street in front of Mr. Lube, the city replaced some aged, small bushes with roses and flowers to make those more attractive.
West Fraser announced they are investing $33 million in their lumber mill on College Street. Newberry is the number one timber-producing county in South Carolina and that will continue in the future with investments like this.
On Hwy. 121 near Oakland Mill, construction has begun on a new factory, ThermoFlo. Owner Bob James, a Newberry College alumnus, is relocating his company from Charlotte to Newberry, and we’re very proud of that. ThermoFlo makes industrial steam and fluid systems. It will employ about 15 to 20 people.
Finally, here’s a review of some of the Christmas season events in Newberry:
• Main Street Lights, Nov. 18
• Shop Small Saturday, Nov. 26. Encouraging people throughout the United States to support small businesses.
• Community Choir concert, Dec. 2-4
• Newberry Christmas Parade, Dec. 3, 3 p.m. Sponsored by the Jaycees