Iralyn Pena and Blossom Pasquarelli [Photo: Kaila Jones]

The magic of Christmas filled the streets of Sebastian during the 31st annual Light Up Night, coordinated by the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce. Throngs of revelers dressed in their merriest holiday attire – and comfortable walking shoes – strolled along U.S. 1 visiting nearly 50 businesses and dozens of festival vendors, who welcomed everyone with refreshments, games, raffles and holiday cheer.

Santa was very busy throughout the night, making appearances at various businesses along the way. Anywhere he landed, children were quick to jump on his lap to ask for presents; others just shyly greeted him as he strolled about town.

“This is such a great event,” said Santa, holding court on the porch of Café Latte da. “Families are out walking and visiting with neighbors, strangers are wishing each other Merry Christmas, and everyone is just enjoying this perfect Florida evening. This is the true spirit of Christmas.”

Even the Grinch was in a jolly mood as he posed for photos and mingled with the crowd in front of Paradise Florist.

When asked whether he planned to steal Christmas this year, he answered, “No … I’ve learned my lesson. Cindy Lou Who is a tough cookie and even I don’t want to go head to head with her again. The turnout tonight reminds me of Whoville with everyone laughing and smiling and having fun. Even a Grinch like me can’t ruin this holiday spirit.”

Families also lined up for photo ops with Rudolph and his sleigh at a selfie spot behind the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce. Standing next to Rudolph were the real-life heroes of a Sebastian community outreach program, who were serving snow cones while showing off their mobile units.

“We are part of the C.O.R.E. team,” said Jason Gillette. “C.O.R.E. stands for Community Oriented Policing Endeavor. We form alliances with businesses and residents while teaching proactive protection through community education and involvement. An evening like this gives us a chance to interact with the community and meet the children in a non-threatening way. It’s just great to be part of such a joyous occasion.”

The crowd-pleasing Sebastian River High School Sharks Band drew a large audience as they played Christmas carols outside of the Sebastian River Medical Center. Other bands had been staged strategically along the route, so there was always music in the air, adding to the melody of laughter and greetings from everyone there.

Light Up Night was first introduced by the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce 31 years ago as a way to encourage residents to shop local. It has grown exponentially through the years and is now a favorite family event for locals and visitors alike.

By the end of the evening, many of the attendees had walked more than they usually do, and younger children were being balanced on their parents’ shoulders as folks found their way back to their cars. With tummies full of goodies and hearts filled with joy, all were in agreement that it had been a very good night indeed.