They're dressed up for the holidays

It's Christmas time in Montrose.

Holiday lights, horse-drawn trolley and hay-wagon rides and visits with Santa are helping to ring in the holiday season at the shopping park now through Christmas weekend.

"We feel as a merchants group that parents end up spending a lot of money over the holidays and we like to provide an atmosphere in the shopping district where parents can leave their wallets in their pockets and let their children enjoy some activities free of charge," said John Drayman, president of the Montrose Shopping Park Assn.

The group began what they call an extensive holiday program the day after Thanksgiving, and they've been doing it for the last four years, Drayman said.

"We just finished an errand and came into town and saw Mrs. Santa singing with a moose puppet," Glendale resident Camilla Fong said. "It enchanted a few children."

Fong was one of the many people Saturday who visited the Montrose Shopping Park and noticed the festive decorations and activities along several blocks of Honolulu Avenue.

White and colored lights adorned the trees and shrubbery, and wire reindeer were scattered throughout the shopping park.

Santa Claus — who offered free photos with children — waved at passersby from a red chair propped along the sidewalk and jazz ensembles entertained patrons with holiday music.

"I think this helps give Montrose more of a small-town feel, a more cozy feel," said Franny Idda, manager at Bella clothing store.

Bella, like many of the other shops that line Honolulu Avenue in the shopping park, featured holiday decorations in its store window as a way of keeping with the festive spirit.

"It's the feel of the old Midwest small town," said Alex Carneval, owner of Mayhall's Sewing and Vacuum Center. "There are only a few of these available in the area now."

Visitors to the shopping park lined up for free pony rides along the sidewalk and horse-drawn hay-wagon rides up an down Honolulu Avenue on Saturday.

The two activities proved to be popular attractions with many.

"It's fun," 6-year-old Delaney Eck said as she rode a brown pony dressed in a red sash. "I like ponies."

The activities will be available now through the Christmas weekend as a thank you to patrons who frequent the shopping park, Drayman said.

Even the park's weekly harvest market will be dressed up to reflect the Christmas spirit, Drayman said.

"Basically, we try to create a holiday environment for people to enjoy," he said.

And it's that environment that brings out the holiday spirit and togetherness in people, Fong said.

"I think that's probably what's so wonderful about Montrose — it has a family feel about it," she said.