Annual Johnson Center Christmas celebration welcomes community

The community turned out for Christmas at the Center Tuesday night held at the Johnson Center for the Arts.

The event draws people from around Pike County for the annual silent and live auctions, coupled with a special dinner at The Studio that follows a lighting of Christmas trees. However, it’s the lighting of the trees that has to be the biggest draw and kicks off Christmas at the Center.

“I made a gingerbread man for that tree,” said Clifton Culpepper, 8, who is in Karen Smith’s third-grade class at Banks Primary School. “I think our tree looks great!”

Culpepper was at the tree lighting ceremony with his mother, sister and his teacher.

“It is a wonderful experience for the students to create and decorate,” Smith said, noting that ornaments were made from burlap, cotton bolls, berries and other items. “I think the bolls of cotton were more exciting to them than anything.”

Center Director Morgan Drinkard said she was pleased with the crowd at Tuesday night’s celebration.

“We really love to see the students who have made the ornaments in their classrooms come and share them with their families,” Drinkard said. “And we have a full series of events that gets different people here for different reasons, all together, to kick off the holiday season.”

The dinner and both auctions go to benefit the Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Center. Drinkard said her goal was surpass last year’s total of $22,000.

The trees will remain on display during December at the Center.

See more photos below.