Dripping with Holiday Cheer

By Pam Owens and Hope Boatright

Twinkling lights are being strung, garland is being hung, and historic Mercer Street is abuzz with holiday cheer. And this year, we are decking way more than just the halls here in Dripping Springs, TX.

One of the most anticipated holiday events will be taking place this weekend in downtown Dripping Springs – Christmas on Mercer! Join us downtown for this special holiday festival on Saturday, December 1 and for the Annual Tree Lighting at dusk at Veteran’s Memorial Park, also known as the Triangle.

Every year, Mercer Street shines just a little brighter, and this year is no exception. Over the summer, the Dripping Springs Visitors Bureau launched a “Buy a Light” campaign to raise money for holiday lights to help the Mercer Street merchants dazzle and shine this holiday.

After receiving calls and seeing many posts on social media discussing the lack of holiday decorations, Pam Owens, President/CEO of the Dripping Springs Visitor Bureau (DSVB) applied for a matching grant through the Dripping Springs Community Foundation to cover the cost of purchasing Christmas lights for historic Mercer Street. The DSVB, a 501 (c)3 charitable non-profit organization was awarded a $2,500 grant from the Dripping Springs Community Foundation, but the grant had one stipulation; it must be matched with $7,500 to receive the full awarded amount.

The “Buy a Light” campaign was shared extensively through social media making the holiday cheer abundant, even in the hottest month of the year in Texas.
Over 123 individual donations were made to help light up historic Mercer Street! The community really rallied behind this summertime campaign, and the DSVB was able to raise an incredible $17,313 allowing us to purchase commercial-grade holiday decorations for designated businesses located along historic Mercer Street. It was as if you could hear the jingle bells in August.

Because of the incredible generosity of the individual donors in the community, the DSVB was able to hire Lux Lighting, a veteran and locally owned DS business to install the lights. Each business has been decked with white and multi-colored lights, and the festive decorations will have you feeling like you’ve stepped into a Texas winter wonderland.

The City of Dripping Springs has also ramped up the amount of holiday decorations they display each year, including adorning the big oak tree in front of the Dripping Springs Ranch Park Event Center with lights. The City has other wonderful partners like Pedernales Electric Cooperative which installs some décor and The Dripping Springs Lion’s Club which organizes Christmas on Mercer. The Lion’s Club also donated the three garland swags over Mercer.

Thank you also to Garnett Propane, Pure Water Stop, Sacred Moon Herbs and Laura and Ryan Grant for generously funding lights for their buildings. You have all done such a wonderful job of contributing a bit of merry to Mercer Street.

It is truly beginning to feel a lot like Christmas around town. We invite you stroll down historic Mercer Street with your family this holiday season and admire the incredible contributions of time, money, and energy that went into making our historic downtown a special place to be this time of year. While you’re out admiring the festive lights, perhaps with a cup of hot cocoa in your hand, stop by the lawn at Wells Fargo to see the names of the generous contributors that made it possible to light up Historic Mercer Street.

About the Bloggers

Pam Owens, President/CEO of the Dripping Springs Visitors Bureau, (pictured right) has been a Dripping Springs resident for 35 years, owning, operating and selling 2 businesses during that time. Pam has always been in love with Dripping Springs so she was a natural fit to promote businesses and to invite visitors to come explore our part of the Texas Hill Country.

Hope Boatright was born and raised in Dripping Springs and is the Communications Specialist for Destination Dripping Springs. Her love for tourism started at a young age while giving tours on her family’s farm and feels right at home marketing the Dripping Springs area. Outside of visiting all the breweries, wineries and distilleries in her hometown, Hope loves spending time outdoors in the Hill Country with her new husband and dogs.