4 Christmas Events We Don't Do Anymore In Jax
This week Jacksonville will celebrate Christmas for the 182nd time. Here's four major Christmas traditions that don't happen anymore in a city that continues to change.
30' Christmas Tree in Hemming Park
Image of Downtown Council Manager Jean Cook and a smaller version of Hemming Park's tree in 1964. Image courtesy of the Jacksonville Public Library Special Collections Department.
Once upon a time, celebrating Christmas in Jacksonville meant decorating Hemming Park. Hemming Park displays once included tinsel arches over the park's eight entrances, a Nativity scene, and a 30-foot Christmas tree. Made of 48 garlands of aluminum tinsel and installed on the bandstand, the tree was dotted with 105 small bulbs and topped with an 18" ball.
According to Councilman Mack Cates during the 1960s, "We wanted to see if we couldn't have a downtown area so attractive it could be a little Rockefeller Center."
Street Decorations
Street decorations in 2013. No, this isn't Jacksonville.
For much of the 20th century, Christmas in Jacksonville included street decorations on downtown's street lamps. In 1964, the City Council approved spending $15,000 to add 63 new decorations to the 200 that were already in place.
The Dorcus Drake Annual Christmas Party
Image of the 27th annual party in 1984 courtesy of the Jacksonville Public Library Special Collections Department
Held at the Jacksonville Coliseum, the Dorcus Drake Annual Christmas Party and Toy Drive was once the biggest private run Christmas Party in the nation.
Founded in 1957 by Dorcus Drake, the granddaughter of former Florida Governor Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, the annual event was so large that in 1987, party organizers entertained 51,000 children who claimed trailer-loads of donated toys.
The event declined without Drake's direction after her death in 1993.
Flagship Department Store Window Displays
There was a time when it was an annual tradition to head downtown and witness the Christmas storefront window displays in Downtown department stores. Furchgott's, Levy-Wolf (originally Levy's), JCPenney, Sears, Ivey's and May-Cohens (originally Cohen Brothers) provided a huge economic and cultural impact for Christmas in Jacksonville. The Big Store (Cohen Brothers) was known for its ability to frame the Hemming Park retail district with window decorations with enough animation and trappings to invoke the holiday spirit among the most jaded pedestrians. Unfortunately, between 1981 and 1987, downtown's flagship full-line department stores closed one-by-one and along with them, went their window displays.
Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com
Image of Downtown Council Manager Jean Cook and a smaller version of Hemming Park's tree in 1964. Image courtesy of the Jacksonville Public Library Special Collections Department.
Once upon a time, celebrating Christmas in Jacksonville meant decorating Hemming Park. Hemming Park displays once included tinsel arches over the park's eight entrances, a Nativity scene, and a 30-foot Christmas tree. Made of 48 garlands of aluminum tinsel and installed on the bandstand, the tree was dotted with 105 small bulbs and topped with an 18" ball.
According to Councilman Mack Cates during the 1960s, "We wanted to see if we couldn't have a downtown area so attractive it could be a little Rockefeller Center."
Street Decorations
Street decorations in 2013. No, this isn't Jacksonville.
For much of the 20th century, Christmas in Jacksonville included street decorations on downtown's street lamps. In 1964, the City Council approved spending $15,000 to add 63 new decorations to the 200 that were already in place.
The Dorcus Drake Annual Christmas Party
Image of the 27th annual party in 1984 courtesy of the Jacksonville Public Library Special Collections Department
Held at the Jacksonville Coliseum, the Dorcus Drake Annual Christmas Party and Toy Drive was once the biggest private run Christmas Party in the nation.
Founded in 1957 by Dorcus Drake, the granddaughter of former Florida Governor Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, the annual event was so large that in 1987, party organizers entertained 51,000 children who claimed trailer-loads of donated toys.
The event declined without Drake's direction after her death in 1993.
Flagship Department Store Window Displays
There was a time when it was an annual tradition to head downtown and witness the Christmas storefront window displays in Downtown department stores. Furchgott's, Levy-Wolf (originally Levy's), JCPenney, Sears, Ivey's and May-Cohens (originally Cohen Brothers) provided a huge economic and cultural impact for Christmas in Jacksonville. The Big Store (Cohen Brothers) was known for its ability to frame the Hemming Park retail district with window decorations with enough animation and trappings to invoke the holiday spirit among the most jaded pedestrians. Unfortunately, between 1981 and 1987, downtown's flagship full-line department stores closed one-by-one and along with them, went their window displays.
Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com