It’s almost that time of year again as the Raeford-Hoke Chamber of Commerce prepares to present the annual Hometown Christmas in downtown Raeford.

This year Hometown Christmas will be held Friday, December 2 from 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Local businesses will deck the halls with lights and decorations and stay open into the evening for shoppers to see what downtown Raeford has to offer. There will be activities for children at the Kids’ Corner, hay rides to the Raeford-Hoke Museum, movies, hot chocolate, and Santa Claus will be in town.

Hometown Christmas will have something new this year, with the Chamber inviting food trucks to sell food during the evening. Typically, the event does not allow vendors to sell items, but the Chamber received many requests to include food trucks and that will happen this year, according to an email from Chamber Executive Director Liz McNeill.

The Raeford-Hoke Chamber of Commerce has opened vendor applications for businesses, nonprofits and other groups that wish to share freebies and information during the festive time of year. The deadline for vendor applications is Friday, November 25 at 2 p.m. to give the Chamber a chance to get everything in place.

“Hometown Christmas is designed to celebrate the community during the holiday season. This is a great opportunity for you to show off your skills and merchandise. We want to help you showcase your business so the community knows you are here, and they can shop locally all year,” the Chamber said in a message for potential vendors.

The Chamber also has sponsorship opportunities for Hometown Christmas. Contact McNeill for more information, by email at info@rhchamber.com, by calling (910) 875-5929 or drop by the Chamber at 101 North Main Street in Raeford.