Elf Season is here!
What is Elf Season? Spark Downtown, a 501(c)(3) "outgrowth" of the Downtown Alliance, is encouraging the community to come downtown and explore all the city has to offer. Through Dec. 21, visitors can come downtown to shop, collect stamps, find the elves, and follow a serialized story. Why has the North Pole turned its eyes toward Fayetteville? Come downtown during Elf Season, and the answer may reveal itself.
Elf Missions begin each Thursday. Would be elf hunters can pick up or download the Elf Season Mission Map and complete the quests. Completed missions can be submitted at Pierro's Italian restaurant, where an Elf Season Dropbox is located. Those who collect eight or more stamps each week will be entered into a drawing for a Downtown Experience Prize. These prizes include gift cards, creative workshops, festive treats and holiday outings.
Elf hunters who participate in three or more weeks of Elf Season will be entered to win a $250 grand prize.
For more information about mission maps and weekly missions, visit https://www.facebook.com/sparkdowntown/
"I’ve been sent—along with a merry crew of fellow elves—to Downtown Fayetteville for one very important reason: a piece of Santa’s great List has gone quiet, and the only place we’ve traced the glow… is right here in your beautiful downtown," says Pip Merrywhistle, Chief Elf Correspondent. Join Pip every week as more of the story of the connection between the North Pole and Fayetteville is discovered. Readers can follow along at https://downtowncreativeworks.org/elf-season25
"Something about Fayetteville’s people, its small kindnesses, its cheerful businesses, and its lovingly walkable streets is rekindling the magic. So we’ve come to help—and we need the community’s help right back," says Pip.
The weekly Elf missions aren't all that Elf Season is bringing to downtown. On Saturday, Dec. 13 after the Rotary Christmas Parade, Segra Stadium will be opened for a day of cheer and holiday spirit. Every visitor who comes to Segra dressed as an elf, will receive a complimentary ticket for a visit to the Holiday Lights at Segra Stadium, held throughout the month of December.
" This is the day we aim to turn downtown into a sea of elves, celebrating community, creativity, and the shared joy of being together. Elf Season proudly complements the season’s highlights—from A Dickens Holiday to the festive gatherings and holiday happenings that make Fayetteville shine," said a press release from Spark Downtown.
Spark Downtown, along with the Downtown Alliance and sponsor PWC, hope to bring the "spark" to downtown Fayetteville. Store fronts are decorated and light displays are placed around town, turning Hay Street into a "holiday postcard come to life." With shops all within walking distance, great restaurants and places to grab warm drinks, downtown Fayetteville is a great place to drum up some Christmas Cheer.
" We elves came because your kindness stirred the light. We are staying because your downtown feels like home. And when our mission ends on December 21, we’ll return to the North Pole with grateful hearts—and the magic we gathered here will help the whole world shine a bit brighter," says Pip.
For questions, please email spark@dcwfay.org.