Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

NEDERLAND — The 13th annual “Christmas on the Avenue” will be held Dec. 4 on Boston Avenue in Nederland and in front of Tex Ritter Park.

Started in 2008 as a small event at old city hall, the community event has expanded tremendously.

For this year’s “Christmas on the Avenue,” vendors will start selling their goods at noon along Boston Avenue. A wide variety of merchandise and goods will be available, organizers said.

In addition, the downtown shops will be open so attendees can get Christmas shopping done in Nederland. Pictures with Santa Claus will be available at the police station.

Various contests and games will be held throughout the day. This year, a scavenger hunt will be held, allowing participants completing the search to go into the drawing for major prizes. The scavenger hunt is limited to children 12 and under.

There will be a variety of activities for families, including a toboggan tunnel and a “snow”mazing maze. Food vendors will be stationed all along Boston Avenue. Various local clubs and organizations will be participating in the event.

At approximately 6 p.m., activities will move to Tex Ritter Park, where the Christmas tree lighting ceremony will be held. Local church leaders will be invited to share their message on the meaning of the holidays.

Scavenger hunt winners will be announced during this time. In addition, the winners of the essay contest and the art contest winners will be announced with the winning essays and the submitted art displayed at city hall throughout the holiday season.

The essay contest has been distributed to participating NISD fourth grade classes and posted on the city’s social media pages, and the art contest has been distributed to participating NISD second grade classes and posted on the city’s social media pages.

Santa will make an appearance at the tree lighting.

“For the past several years on the day of the Christmas on the Avenue event, at approximately 6:15 p.m., it amazingly began to snow in Nederland at Tex Ritter Park,” organizers said. “This year, snow is once again in the forecast. This is a wonderful opportunity for you and your family and friends and to take photographs.”

Anyone with questions can call Nederland Parks & Recreation at 409-724-0773.