Making the Most of Opportunities

Collaborate: The Arts Council of Rock Hill and York County, South Carolina is known for hosting events that unite tourism, economic development, downtown revitalization and the arts. ChristmasVille, an annual holiday festival, brings together numerous partners including the Arts Council, Main Street, the economic development corporation, culture and heritage commission, local government, the convention and visitors bureau, local library and university and the state’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department.

Find the Fit Between the Community and Tourism: One reason that local organizers decided to plan ChristmasVille was to stimulate downtown redevelopment. Organizers wanted to create activities that would bring people – residents and tourists – downtown in the evenings. Organizers are pleased that the festival has made Main Street a destination place for the community to celebrate in addition to welcoming tourists.

Make Sites and Programs Come Alive:

ChristmasVille makes downtown Rock Hill come alive through many activities for all ages. The festival is centered around showcasing the art and imagery of the late Vernon Grant, a renowned illustrator of children’s art who lived in Rock Hill. The 12-day event includes a fine-arts and crafts festival, a musical gnome parade, guided walking tours, special exhibits at the York County Museum, a Lighting of the Village ceremony, performances by local choirs, 30 decorated Christmas trees, horse-drawn carriage rides and lots of old-fashioned food.

Focus on Quality and Authenticity: By using Grant’s work as the centerpiece, organizers have built the festival around the artist’s high quality of work and the fact that he was a resident of Rock Hill. Organizers have created a mascot from one of Grant’s gnome cartoons which is used in banners, cut-outs and sculptures found throughout the downtown.

Preserve and Protect Resources: ChristmasVille has resulted in preserving and protecting two important parts of Rock Hill’s past – the legacy of a renowned artists and the revitalization of downtown through increased visitation to local restaurants and retail businesses.

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