Tickets available to annual Santa Claus Crawl

By Sherry Lucas

The Santa Claus Crawl on Thursday, December 3, in Olde Towne Clinton is a fast-track to the Christmas spirit, with later hours for shopping, exclusive access to tasty cider and store specials, and a fun night of community camaraderie.

Tickets — $35 advance and $40 on the night of the event — are on sale through Main Street Clinton.

Usually, about a dozen Olde Towne businesses participate, offering cider, discounts and hospitality to the crawlers.

Shoppers can pick up their mugs at 5:30 p.m. on December 3 and proceed for several hours of shopping fun before making their way to the Olde Towne Venue for the after-party at 8:30 p.m. There, snacks and Santa’s drawing for door prizes from participating businesses will commence.

Door prizes typically include a $50 value gift in the form of a certificate, gift basket or item. With only about 125 crawlers, organizers say “chances are pretty good you could go home with one.”

“It’s a staple of the holiday season,” Main Street Clinton Program Director Tara Lytal said. “It’s fun.”