Red Oak Chamber Lights Up The Holidays With Free Family Events And A Push To Shop Local

Red Oak Chamber Lights Up The Holidays With Free Family Events And A Push To Shop Local

The Christmas season is arriving in Red Oak, and the Red Oak Chamber & Industry Association is helping lead the celebration with free family events, a strong focus on supporting small businesses, and a full slate of December activities. Executive Director Elaine Carlson joined us to share updates on recent chamber successes, the upcoming Holiday Kickoff and Small Business Saturday events, business promotions, and what’s ahead for the chamber in the new year.

Holiday Kickoff: Friday Night On The Square

The Holiday Kickoff takes place Friday, November 28, on the downtown Red Oak square.

Highlights include:

5:15 p.m. – Joyful Noise Community Choir
The newly formed Joyful Noise Community Choir will make its debut, leading the crowd in traditional Christmas carols that everyone is invited to sing along with.
5:30 p.m. – Community Christmas Tree Lighting
The community Christmas tree will be lit, recognizing the reason for the season and officially ushering in the Christmas spirit downtown.
5:30–7:00 p.m. – Santa And Mrs. Claus
- Location: The corner building at 3rd and Coolbaugh,
- Details: Santa and Mrs. Claus will visit with children, listen to Christmas wishes, and pose for family photos.

The Rotary Club will be on hand serving hot cocoa to help take the chill off the evening.

Free Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides

Also part of Holiday Kickoff are free horse-drawn carriage rides around downtown:

The carriage rides are:

Completely free to the public,
Funded by horse-drawn carriage sponsors:
- Mark Jackson’s Hardware Hank and Hallmark Gold Crown
- Oak Valley Animal Health Clinic
And made possible by funds raised through the Piccadilly auction at Holiday Extravaganza.

Small Business Saturday: Firetruck Rides, Crafts, And A Free Movie

The fun continues the very next day for Small Business Saturday.

10:00 a.m. – Noon: Lighted Firetruck Rides, Bingo, And Crafts

Lighted firetruck rides
- Location: Agora Coffeehouse and Event Venue, next to the Red Oak Grand Theatre.
Christmas Bingo
- Hosted inside the Agora by Emily Martin and volunteers from Nishna Productions.
- Includes small prizes for kids.

All morning activities—from rides to crafts to bingo—are free, thanks again to the support generated by the Piccadilly auction and local sponsors.

1:30 p.m. – Free Movie At The Grand Theatre

At 1:30 p.m., the Red Oak Grand Theatre will show “Annie Claus is Coming to Town”:

Admission is free for all.
Sponsored by Bank Iowa, Hy-Vee, and the Red Oak Express.

Shop Small And Support Local Businesses

Carlson emphasized that all of these events tie back to an important goal: supporting local small businesses.

Holiday Ladies’ Night Out:

Date: Wednesday, December 10
Time: 4:00–7:00 p.m.

It’s an opportunity for a fun evening out, holiday shopping, and a chance to support multiple local businesses in one night.

More December Events

Carlson also highlighted several other upcoming events:

Business After Hours at Riverbend Heritage Lodge
- Date: Friday, December 12
- Time: 4:00–8:00 p.m.
Mary Kay Holiday Open House
- Location: Chamber office
- Date: Saturday, December 13
- Time: 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Food for Thought Thursdays – AI Series
- Partnership between MCDC, the Red Oak Chamber, and Montgomery County Memorial Hospital.
- Held the second Thursday of each month at noon.
- Featured speaker: Major General Chris Hughes on the topic of artificial intelligence (AI).
- The upcoming session is Thursday, December 11, Noon–1:00 p.m., and is free to attend.

In the meantime, Carlson is busy wrapping up the year: finalizing the chamber budget, processing membership renewals, putting finishing touches on upcoming events, and working on the next edition of the Red Oak Living magazine, which is produced every two years.