Open House is Nov 6-7 downtown and the parade and lighting is Dec 5. Dates are on the Heber Springs events page if anyone needs them.
Grandkids are in town for one of those weekends, not both. Parade crowd gets huge and parking around Main fills up fast. Open House seems less packed but I've never gone.
What's worked for you with little ones? Park early or just walk in from a ways out?
Open House is the easier one with little ones imo. Shops are open so you can duck in and out when somebody gets cold or cranky, and nobody's stuck on a curb for an hour waiting on a float. It's also a decent excuse to see whatever new places have opened up downtown, there's always some turnover.
Parade I'd park early and walk in from a few blocks out. Trying to get close to Main is a headache and getting out afterward is worse. Dec 5 could be chilly after dark for the lighting, so bring blankets and something hot to drink.
If it's only one weekend I'd pick Open House, but the parade is the bigger deal if they want the full Christmas thing.
Shane's right about the shops. We've been driving down from the Bay for the Open House for years, and it's the gentler of the two. You can wander at your own pace, and a lot of the stores put out cider or cookies, so the little ones usually end up with something sweet in their hands before you've gone a block. Go Friday evening if you can, when the lights are coming on. Saturday midday is nice too, just a bit busier.
One thing I'd add is to plan your supper ahead of time. Restaurants in Heber fill up on those weekends because everybody has the same idea once it gets cold and the kids get hungry. We either eat early, around 4:30 or 5, or we go before we start walking. Waiting an hour with grandkids who are already worn out is no fun for anybody.
Stacy, saving the parade until the youngest can stay up for the lighting is a good call. The parade will be there next year, and it's more fun when they can actually enjoy it. Hope the grandkids have a good visit.
Friday evening should work out fine. Might check the Panthers schedule first though. If there's a home game that night, traffic through town gets backed up around kickoff, so I'd either get downtown early or wait till the game's underway.
We usually park a couple blocks off Main and just walk, never regretted it. Bring a jacket for the kids too, it gets cold fast once the sun's down and those downtown sidewalks don't hold any heat.
Stacy, that sounds like a solid plan, and thank you for starting this thread. I only moved up here a few weeks ago, so I'm taking notes along with you. I hadn't thought about the supper timing or the Panthers schedule until Ronnie and Michael brought them up.
This will be my first Christmas season in the area, and the Open House is on my list. Partly it's the shops, but I'm also curious to walk downtown Heber and look at the older buildings. I like local history, and I'd love to know what some of those storefronts used to be, if anyone has stories. I understand the springs were the reason the town got started, which I'd like to learn more about.
One question for the longtimers... is there a place downtown that does a decent early supper without a long wait? Barbecue would be my first choice, but I'll go where the locals go. Hope the grandkids have a good visit.