Shelbyville, KY Lights the Way to Christmas

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. - Oct. 18, 2016 - PRLog -- Shelbyville, Simpsonville and Shelby County, KY, are wishing visitors a very merry Christmas with dozens of decorated Christmas trees, thousands of lights and a hometown parade that reminds us all of the simple gifts of Christmas. Visit www.VisitShelbyKY.com and click on the Events Calendar to see all the holiday fun.

O Christmas tree

Wakefield-Scearce Galleries (http://www.wakefieldscearce.com/) welcomes the Christmas shopping season beginning on Wednesday, Nov. 9, with Open Houses featuring more than a dozen professionally decorated, uniquely themed trees, including a traditionally decorated 15-foot tree. The trees will be holding court throughout the Galleries, whose 30 rooms will also be lavishly decorated. Expect floor to ceiling Christmas and be ready to shop till you drop. Holiday hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Shoppers who wish to lunch on fine Kentucky fare – fresh Kentucky trout, ham, fried chicken or the legendary Hot Brown open-faced sandwich swaddled in cheese sauce – should make reservations as early in advance as possible at Science Hill Inn: 502-633-2825. Lunch is served 10 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

Lighting the way for Santa

On Saturday, Nov. 12, head to downtown Shelbyville for Shelbyville's Celebration of Lights (http://www.visitshelbyky.com/blog/event/celebration-of-li...). This free annual holiday tradition, held from 3 to 8 p.m., includes the lighting of Shelbyville's Christmas tree, along with plenty of family fun, foods, crafts, shopping and more.

Put on your holiday shopping shoes and join the holiday festivities at the Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass (http://www.theoutletshoppesofthebluegrass.com/), 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11, for a Tree Lighting Ceremony. Don't forget to pack your shopping list: Kentucky's only outlet mall now has more than 100 designer outlets and eateries, including two sit-down restaurants – Taqueria Tsunami and Johnny Rockets.

Simpsonville gets into the holiday spirit on Saturday, Nov. 19, with Light Up Simpsonville (http://www.cityofsimpsonvilleky.com/parksrecreation.asp). This free event invites merrymakers to join Mayor Steve Eden in Wiche Park as he counts down to lighting up the town and officially ushering in the holiday season. The fun and festivities begin at 6:30 p.m., with the Shelby Community Children's Choir providing beautiful holiday music and Santa Claus and his friends adding to the revelry.

You'll know Santa Claus is coming to town when the Shelby County Christmas Parade (http://www.visitshelbyky.com/blog/event/shelby-county-christmas-parade-2/?instance_id=1105201) takes to the streets 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Sat., Dec. 3. Sponsored by the Shelby County Fire & Rescue Department, this hometown parade features a variety of entertainment for everyone in the family and a special appearance by the Big Guy.

Dreaming of a white Christmas

The Shelby County Community Theatre brings one of the most timeless and beloved Christmas classics to the stage with "Irving Berlin's White Christmas," on Dec. 1-4 and 8-11. Show times: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Join hoofers Bob Wallace and Phil Davis as they follow the beautiful Haynes sisters to a ski lodge in snowy Vermont – and belt out holiday fave, "White Christmas." www.ShelbyTheatre.org.

Where visions of sugarplums dance

Plan a holiday getaway in Shelbyville, Simpsonville and Shelby County at one of a number of well-known chain hotels, two lodges ideal for large families and small groups, two bed and breakfast inns and two downtown lofts, including newly opened Le Coop. Click here (http://www.visitshelbyky.com/) for information about accommodations, local restaurants and holiday events and activities.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Katie E. Fussenegger, CTP, Executive Director, KatieF@VisitShelbyKy.com, 502-633-6388

ShelbyKY Tourism Commission & Visitors Bureau, www.VisitShelbyKy.com

ABOUT SHELBYKY (http://www.visitshelbyky.com/) │ Tucked between Louisville and Frankfort, KY, Shelbyville/Simpsonville/Shelby County (ShelbyKY) form a community of small-town charm and world-class equestrian events. The American Saddlebred Capital of the World is home to 90-plus historic Saddlebred horse farms and breeding and training facilities where visitors can go behind-the-scenes for a rare peek into the world of these captivating show horses. New attractions include Jeptha Creed Distillery and the Whitney M. Young Birthplace Interpretative Center, a National Historic Landmark and Kentucky African-American Heritage Site. ShelbyKY's dining landscape includes culinary icons Science Hill Inn and Claudia Sanders Dinner House; overnight choices include a number of brand name chain hotels, downtown lofts, group lodgings and bed and breakfast inns. Outdoors adventure includes water sports (fishing, canoeing, paddle boating), horseback riding, golf and fall-fun pumpkin patches and corn mazes. A pastoral gem with rural roads and uptown downtowns, ShelbyKY is also known as Design Destination for its wealth of interior design, antique, home accessory and furniture shops, including the highly regarded Wakefield-Scearce Galleries. Here too is Kentucky's only designer outlet mall, the Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass. Niche.com ranked Shelbyville No. 1 on its "Best Towns to Raise a Family in Kentucky" and among the best places in the U.S. to live and work. Movoto.com named Shelbyville as one of the 10 safest places in Kentucky and one of America's most caring cities. www.facebook.com/VisitShelbyKY