Richmond's Miracle on Morton Street
BY B.J. POLLOCK
Published:
Saturday, November 14, 2009 4:26 PM CST
Set for Saturday, Dec. 5, the festivities begin with a new event, Richmond on the Brazos 5K Family Fun Run/Walk beginning at 8 a.m.
The Historic Richmond Association presents the seventh annual "Miracle On Morton Street" event, sponsored by OakBend Medical Center, along with community partner T.W. Davis YMCA for the family fun run and walk.
Mayor Hilmar Moore and OakBend Medical Center's Joe Freudenberger will kick off the event in front of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Judge Bob Hebert and Commissioner Richard Morrison will present the fun run awards on the steps of Fort Bend County's 100-year-old courthouse.
Visit www.HistoricRichmond.org for on-line registration.
The action moves to the city's historic downtown at 10 a.m., with Moore opening those festivities as well.
Throughout the day, vendors will offer a wide array of arts and crafts, gift items and food galore, and local businesses will be open for Christmas shopping.
Downtown restaurants serving their favorite dishes include The Flying Pig Café, Italian Maid, Sandy McGee's, Lone Star Saloon and the Richmond Coffee Station.
Other food vendors are Texas Roadhouse, Sacred Heart Catholic Church KCs, Hispanic Heritage Forum, Morton Masonic Lodge and Creole's Authentic Louisiana Cuisine.
T.W. Davis YMCA's Kid Zone will feature moon walks, crafts, face-painting and volunteers from the Interact Clubs of Lamar Consolidated and Foster high schools, who will provide a number of children's activities and prizes.
Transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with lots of Christmas lights, Miracle On Morton Street will also boast Santa's Special Post Office, performances by church and school choirs, and local high school drill teams, and Grandma's Boyfriend's Barber Shop Quartet.
First Community Bank's popular money-grab machine will be located at the intersection of Morton and Third streets, and clowns will be entertaining the crowds all day and passing out balloons as well.
Some of Santa's elves will be on hand all day at Fort Bend Postal Service to help children write letters to Santa, and members of the Brazos High School Theatre troupe will give street performances.
Children can have their pictures taken with Santa at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., compliments of Studio Ainsley Photography.
Some of the Fort Bend County Fair's Talent Show winners will start up the musical entertainment at 11 a.m. on the Nutcracker Stage, followed by a performance by Sugar Land Dance Center at noon.
Also at noon, narrated wagon rides highlighting the history of Richmond's downtown district will begin at Hilmar Moore Plaza. Fort Bend Museum will provide the narration for the tour rides and Sacred Heart Catholic Church will host a live nativity scene along the tour route.
The Nutcracker Stage will be the site for the following performances: Sugar Land Dance Center 12:00 p.m., Kapa Dance Studio 12:30 p.m.; Dance Tech by Hillary at 1 p.m.; Lady Aero Dynamics at 1:30 p.m.; Rosenberg's Texas Roadhouse Dance Team at 1:45 p.m.; B.F. Terry High School Rangerettes 2:30 p.m.; Foster High School Flairs at 2:50 p.m.; Lamar High School Fillies at 3:10 p.m.; and Grandma's Boyfriends Barber Shop Quartet at 2 p.m.
Also at noon, Lone Star Saloon presents live musical entertainment featuring regional talent, outdoors at the saloon, beginning with local singer, James Mendilo, along with performances by th Tartanic Bagpipe Show and the Jeremy James Band. Topping off the evening at 7 p.m. will be Zack Walthers and the Cronkities.
Back to the Nutcracker Stage will be: Pecan Grove Elementary Bell Choir at 3:00 p.m.; Oakland Elementary Choir at 3:45 p.m.; Heart of Worship at 4:30 p.m. Calvary Episcopal School's ShowStoppers Choir at 5:30 p.m.; and First United Methodist Church Bell Choir at 6:15 p.m.
All eyes will be on Richmond's water tower as Santa rappels down the structure at 6 p.m., then sticks around to hear Christmas wish lists and have complimentary photos taken with children and his elves on Richmond's Fire Department antique fire truck.
A lighting ceremony for the Fort Bend Seniors Tree of Honor begins at 7:00 p.m. at Hilmar Moore Plaza. Each light on the tree symbolizes someone special, and those honored will have their names read during the ceremony.
Available for purchase are an Honoring Light for $100, Celebrating Light, $75; Inspiring Light, $50; and Rejoicing Light, $25.
To purchase a light, e-mail Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels Director of Development Kristin Weiss at kweiss@fortbendseniors.org or call her at 281-633-7057.
In addition to the free Miracle on Morton Street celebration, there will be no charge to visit the gallery of the Fort Bend Museum that night.
Tickets will be available for the annual Moore Home Candlelight Tour, with the home decked in Christmas finery.
Event sponsorships are available by emailing Mary Doetterl at Mary@HistoricRichmond.org or calling her at 281-762-6896. Limited number of vendor spaces are available. Visit www.HistoricRichmond.org for additional information.