PORTSMOUTH- Three major community organizations, Friends of Portsmouth (FOP), Main Street Portsmouth in Bloom (MSPiB), and the Scioto County Visitor’s Bureau, are teaming up to create a wintry wonderland on Court Street this month with new event: Hallmark Hometown Huladays.

The Christmas in July event will feature music by local band Wild Son, food from the Scioto Ribber, the presence of a “summer Santa,” a special edition ornament, ornament making for the large Winterfest Christmas tree, split the pot, and more.

People can visit the scene, participate in events, and listen to music for just $25. For $50, they can also receive a meal catered by the Scioto Ribber.

“This is a Christmas in July family-fun event that Main Street Portsmouth in Bloom and Friends of Portsmouth are doing as a fundraiser,” FOP Executive Director Bryan Smith explained. “People can expect great food, fun entertainment at 7 p.m., Christmas events, face painting, a snow cone truck, a beer garden, and it’ll be a very festive Christmas in July.”

Executive Director for MSPiB, Emily Uldrich, spoke highly of their efforts, claiming people have been wanting something like this event.

“I’m so excited to partner with Friends of Portsmouth and the Visitor’s Bureau to plan a great fundraiser for the holiday attractions,” Uldrich said. “My neighbors were actually telling me how much they missed Ribs on the Ribber, where they shut down the street for ribs. I told them, ‘Oh, do I have the event for you!’ We will have all sorts of fun things and a tent in the street for shade. It’ll be a fun time in downtown Portsmouth.”

Funding from the event will go towards holiday lighting funds for MSPiB and FOP.

“We got together as a group trying to figure out how to raise more money for light displays around town,” Smith explained. “So, this is what we came up with. We’ve been talking for four or five months and we’re ready for Christmas in July. Any amount raised will help our organizations buy new lights or replace lights that have gone back. I’d love to say we will raise $20,000, but anything we can get will make for a better holiday season.”

Smith said that there is a lot of importance in investing in the holiday season.

“We bring a ton of people for holidays,” Smith said. “We get a ton of visitors who want to see our light displays, want to visit our events, shop at our stores, eat at our restaurants, and stay in our hotels. It brings a lot of money to the area and we know the more we can invest in the efforts then the more we will succeed.”

Tickets for the event can be found at the Community Action Organization of Scioto County Welcome Center, Neal Hatcher Real Estate office, or online by visiting the Facebook pages of the three organizations. Huladays will be held July 20, between 5 and 9 p.m. on Court Street, between Front and Second Streets.