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By Lauren Johnson

If you’re looking for a fun, festive event for the family this weekend, Downtown Troy has you covered. This Saturday, December 12, the square will be hosting the Downtown Christmas Fun Day, which will offer activities for parents and children alike.

“Mark off the last items on your Christmas list by shopping at the local shops downtown and enjoy something delicious from the eateries while you are out and about,” said Leigh Anne Windham special events coordinator for the City of Troy. “We will be encouraging social distancing and will continually be sanitizing so that you can have a worry-free, good time.”

From 12 to 4 p.m. Santa will be visiting and will be available to take pictures. There will also be a train ride for children to enjoy.

Jensen Garrett will be set up on the square from 2 to 3 p.m. to help kids create a Christmas art project. “We will be doing a canvas painting of Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus,” Garrett explained. “It’s a really simple, cute, and fun project.”

Garrett is the elementary art teacher at Pike Liberal Arts, and she owns her art business where she mainly paints pet portraits using acrylic paint. While she loves creating her own art, she also enjoys teaching others in the community and sharing her passion for art with them.

This Saturday, Garrett will be instructing how to create the painting as well as helping those who need it. “For the kids who can’t paint on their own, I’m going to have helpers there for them, so their parents don’t necessarily have to stay and help,” Garrett said.

The project will take about an hour to complete and is recommended for children ages 6 to 12. It’s a great opportunity for children to meet others and enjoy painting outside. “Creating art like this for Christmas helps us remember the reason we’re celebrating. The painting we’ll be working on this Saturday will be a good reminder, and you’ll have your own nativity decoration that your child made to take home,” Garrett said.