I've missed you TSB readers! It's been a while, right?  Kids, work, friends and, of course the significant other (kisses), have been occupying my time, but I'm back with lots of gnarly news.

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas around town, particularly in downtown McKinney. McKinney Performing Arts Center is decked out, the street lights are dressed in holiday swags and local business owner Anne Davidson, of Vital Signs, has been putting the finishing holiday touches on store windows with her creative painting. (I'm certain that Anne would be happy to do more painting for those who are interested.)

I know, I know, with Thanksgiving early this year, Christmas has tackled us early, although I have to admit that I have no clue as to what to buy for anyone on my Christmas list! Maybe Black Friday or Cyber Monday will give me a few ideas.

The annual holiday season kicks off on Friday with Dickens of a Christmas in downtown McKinney. If you have never made it downtown to check out the festivities, you are missing out. There is something for everyone, including the snow hill, carolers strolling the streets and a visit from jolly old Santa himself. In its 32nd year, the big event runs Friday, November 23, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, November 24, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, November 25 from 12 to 6 p.m. The City Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place at 6:15 p.m. on Friday at Mitchell Park. Downtown shops will remain open until 8 p.m. on Friday. 

Don't forget to support the BELIEVE 2012 race on Saturday morning in downtown McKinney. The race is a fundraiser to provide scholarship funding for pre-school students who attend Holy Family School. (These kids are our future, after all!). In it's seventh year, the festivities begin at 7 a.m. at Mitchell Park in downtown McKinney. 

Speaking of downtown, the McKinney Convention and Visitor's Bureau (MCVB) will be moving into a space next to the Pub at 200 W. Virginia. Interim Exec. Director, Dee-dee Guerra tells me that the staff is very excited to be downtown where they will be highly visible and more accessible to visitors. She says they hope to make the move in early January, so stop in and say hi to the staff and check the place out.  

The former Aparicio's restaurant, also on Virginia St. in downtown McKinney, is being turned into the Side Street Cafe, with formal dining on the first floor and a sports bar upstairs. Look for the new digs to open sometime in early 2013.  The proprietor currently owns Cheesecake Amour, 8408 Stacy Rd. in McKinney's Craig Ranch. Hope they include some of those creative cheesecake flavors on the menu at Side Street!

Work continues on the former Boyd-Veigel building on Louisiana Street, across the alley from The Pantry. Rumor has it that Lockhart Smoke House (Bishop Arts District) will be bringing their famous barbeque to McKinney. (I wrote about this back in May) Lockhart's is owned by a family member of the original Kruez Market, which is located in Lockhart, TX, and is the winner of numerous awards for best barbeque in Texas. Lockhart's, according to my boss, turns out the best sausage anywhere, (except for Kreuz & Smitty's in Lockhart) and the brisket is dang near perfect. 
Rumor also has it that a Cajun foodie spot will open in one of the other spaces in the building. Can't wait for more details. 

Kentucky Street (201) will become the home of TownSquareBuzz.com as the company movies into their new digs in early 2013. (yay for us!) I can say that the buzz within our staff is that we are all anxious to have some downtown connections. 

Word has it that the Fringe Factory Hair Salon, 118 E. Louisiana, in downtown McKinney, has closed just 10 months after their Jan. 13 grand opening event. What will go in that space next?  Hopefully not another hair salon.

Sadly, Amato's Italian Ristorante in west McKinney in the shopping center by the Albertson's on Virginia Parkway, has also closed. 

Enjoy that turkey everyone and, please remember to give thanks for something, or someone, in your life.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
Melody Beattie

Happy Thanksgiving.

Cathy

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