Community Holiday Event Brings Families and Businesses Together in Newport

Twas Just Before Christmas arrived on Main Street on December 6, 2025, filling the Newport Opera House and nearby businesses with families between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. The annual event, organized by the Newport Area Chamber of Commerce, was built around a passport program that guided children to participating shops to collect stamps before finishing with a photo with Santa at the Opera House.

The passport format encouraged movement along Main Street and provided concrete reason for families to visit multiple merchants in a single evening. Local retailers reported increased foot traffic and a livelier storefront scene as families paused to shop, pick up refreshments, or complete passport stops. The School Administrative Unit staffed a table at the Opera House to greet families and to hand out coloring books, crayons, and school supplies, reinforcing school system outreach while connecting education officials with parents in an informal setting.

Community events like this operate as more than seasonal cheer. For small towns where brick and mortar retail has struggled against online competition, concentrated events drive transactions and visibility for independent businesses. For families, the combination of free activities and school engagement reduced barriers to participation and offered a low cost option for holiday recreation. For municipal leaders, the event highlighted how coordinated volunteer and business efforts can animate downtown space during a critical retail period.

Looking ahead, the structure of the program demonstrates how experiential local programming can support downtown revitalization and community cohesion. By routing visitors through multiple businesses and providing direct school engagement, organizers reinforced a pattern that can boost short term sales and strengthen longer term civic ties. City and county officials assessing economic development initiatives can view events like Twas Just Before Christmas as tools to sustain Main Street activity and to foster connections between public services and residents.

Organizers said the Newport Area Chamber of Commerce coordinated the schedule and participating locations, and the Opera House served as the central gathering point for photos and family outreach.