Holidays ‘shining brighter’

Red Oak will host Santa, hold a formal lighting ceremony, and celebrate the busiest shopping days of the year with its “Shining Brighter This Holiday Season” activities this week, coordinated by the Red Oak Chamber & Industry Association

Black Friday shopping will be capped with “Family Festivities at Fountain Square Park,” an event from 5 to 7 p.m.

It will include free hot cocoa, free carriage rides, a Christmas window candle giveaway, and the formal lighting of the square at 6 p.m.

There is a free holiday movie matinee at The Grand Theatre starting at 1:30 p.m. both Friday and Saturday. The Red Oak Express is sponsoring “Nut Job 2.”

Saturday is Small Business Saturday across the country. It’s a day set aside to encourage people to shop their local small businesses.

Events on Saturday include breakfast with Santa from 8 to 10 a.m., at the Red Oak Eagles. That will be followed by fire truck rides with Christmas lights and music from 10 a.m. to noon. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., there will be a Pop-up Art Show at Butik in downtown Red Oak.