Downtown Appleton opened its holiday season Saturday evening, Nov. 14, with Light the Night Market, an event organized by Appleton Downtown Inc. around Houdini Plaza and the Fox Commons area.
Families filled the downtown streets for entertainment, food and craft vendors and family-friendly attractions. Santa appeared at the event, and the Brewster Street Brass Band played Christmas songs for the crowd.
Light displays were a centerpiece of the night. Children climbed into a lighted structure shaped like a Christmas tree built by the Boldt Company, posed for photos in front of a giant inflatable lighted snowman, and walked under lighted arches on Houdini Plaza, where the plaza sign was lit in green under candy canes.
Elsewhere, children caught artificial snowflakes, and families roasted marshmallows at a fire pit to make s'mores. Costumed flutter fairies and a Lawrence University student dressed as an elf entertained children along College Avenue and Appleton Street.
Attendees who return year after year described the market as a kickoff to the Christmas season, and first-time visitors said the mild fall temperatures made it an easy night to bring young children downtown.
