‘I’ve been ready since Halloween’: Businesses, neighbors prepare for Christmas light display in McAdenville

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in McAdenville this week and the holiday cheer will hopefully support local businesses for the next few months.

Houses along Wesleyan Drive are just a few of dozens helping to bring in the holiday cheer in McAdenville. As the lights brought in 600,000 people last year, businesses faced with inflation are hoping the Christmas lights will help them end the year strong.

“I’m ready, I’ve been ready since Halloween,” said Stan McDowell.

Excitement is building just three days before the Christmas Town USA light display begins.

McDowell added, “every year is special because it’s the time of year where there are so many people that come through here and it’s just a happy, joyful time.”

Helen Niles added, “people come from all across North Carolina and other places, it’s a family tradition,”

As neighbors in McAdenville put the final touches on their lights, businesses are getting ready for a busy 26 days.

Phyllis Caudle, the Bakery Manager of Floyd & Blackies Bakery said, “we’re so excited as you can tell we have all of our decorations, we love Christmas Town.”

The bakery tells WBTV the revenue from hundreds of thousands of people visiting Christmas Town helps them sustain for about three months.

“It is phenomenal, the number of people that come through and the product that go out the door, we literally have to come in every morning and re-bake everything, we sellout every night,” said Caudle.

Floyd & Blackies Bakery said this year will be important because they’re dealing with inflation and higher cost of products.

New in downtown McAdenville this year is The River Room taphouse operated by the Catawba River Keepers.

“We hope that people make it more than a drive-thru experience and this will really become part of their holiday festivities to come park their car and spend the day, evening in McAdenville,” said John Searby, the Executive Director of Catawba River Keepers.

The taphouse is hopeful grabbing a brew will keep people in town longer.

Searby said, “we hope that we’re also creating an opportunity to tell people, hey, come back to Christmas Town all year round, not just the month of December.”

New this year, the tree lighting ceremony will take place beside the lake in Downtown McAdenville instead of the YMCA, and the town will officially turn on the lights this Thursday at 6 pm.

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