Elaine McArn (left) and Amy Hardin with cold-weather accessories collected at The Needlecraft Center. (Joyce McLeod photo)

Every year at the holidays, The Needlecraft Center on Main Street collects hats and scarves from among its customers for those in need, usually in Appalachia. This year, they’re shifting gears and offering help to people in the Northeast dealing with the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.

The Needlecraft Center decided to join an effort by is yarn distributor, Knitting Fever, to gather cold weather gear for storm victims. The company is in Amityville, N.Y., on Long Island, and many of its own employees were affected by the storm. Read the full story

Santa posed on Engine No. 2 just before the festival’s start Thursday. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Santa Claus climbed onto the old Davidson Engine No. 2, the siren sounded, and Thursday just before 6pm they headed to the Village Green to kick off the 25th annual Christmas in Davidson. Thousands of people from Davidson, surrounding towns, Charlotte and beyond strolled along Main and South Main streets taking in the sights and sounds of the season.

More photos by DavidsonNews.net’s Brenda Barger and David Boraks below. Read the full story

Mayor John Woods posed for photos during his celebrity bartending stint Thursday. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Mayor John Woods and Georgia Krueger, director of the Ada Jenkins Center, posed during Thursday’s event at Flatiron Kitchen. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Mayor John Woods was serving drinks and passing the tip jar Thursday night as guest bartender at Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse. All tips for the evening went to support the Ada Jenkins Center, the regional community services center on Gamble Street.

The mayor was a good sport, donning an elf costume for the task. That had guests snapping photos like crazy on their smart phones.

Find out more about Ada Jenkins Center at www.adajenkins.org

Mayor Woods at Flatiron Kitchen. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Sign outside The Soda Shop advertises a big policy change: They now take credit cards. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Put this one on your list of things you thought you’d never see in Davidson: Credit cards at The Soda Shop. More on that shocking news, plus a report about what that video crew was doing downtown Thursday and the secret behind all the holiday greenery outside local shops this week. Read the full story

Rotary trees were decorated and awaiting votes on the Village Green Thursday. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

For a second year, visitors Christmas in Davidson will have an important role to play in a fundraiser organized by Davidson Rotary Club: We’re being asked to pick our favorites from among more than a dozen trees decorated by local businesses and organizations. The trees are decorated and waiting on the north side of the Village Green, and votes will be taken nightly during the downtown holiday festival Thursday to Saturday. Read the full story

Davidson police responded to at least three vending-machine break-ins  over the past two weeks – two at the Bexley of Davidson Apartments and one in the laundry room at Oak Hill Apartments, off Beaty Street. Two drivers escaped injury in collisions with deer.  Also recently, three people stole $360 worth of clothing from Monkee’s on Jetton Street and a resident of Central Park Circle reported than someone fraudulently used her credit card. Details on these stories and more (along with a tally of the week’s arrests, citations, and traffic enforcement) may be found below. Read the full story

Thousands packed Main Street during the 2011 Christmas in Davidson. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Christmas in Davidson started out 25 years ago as an extra night of shopping at Main Street businesses, but it’s always been something much more for local merchants and residents.

Even that first year, despite its origins as a shopping promotion, there was a sense of community, recalls Elaine McArn, owner of the Needlecraft Center on North Main Street. “It was low-key, but even then it had a really good feel to it,” she said. Read the full story

Santa rode toward the railroad overpass on NC 115 on a Davidson Day School float in the 2011 parade. (CorneliusNews.net file photo)

The 30th Annual North Mecklenburg Christmas Parade kicks off at 1 o’clock this Saturday, Dec. 1, running along N.C. 115/Main Street from downtown Davidson to downtown Cornelius. That means the road will be closed in the two towns through mid-afternoon. Meanwhile, this weekend’s Christmas in Davidson festival will close the main section of Main Street nightly Thursday to Saturday. Read the full story