A group of children play in the “snow” while having fun at the temporary artificial ice skating rink placed on The Square as part of the Athens Main Street and Greater Limestone County Chamber of Commerce's annual Christmas Open House event Saturday.

While it may have been relatively warm and sunny this past weekend, that didn’t stop Christmas cheer from permeating the air on The Square in Athens.

Athens Main Street and the Greater Limestone County Chamber of Commerce hosted the 34th annual Christmas Open House. The event featured a temporary artificial ice skating rink, pictures with Santa Claus, vendors selling holiday items and live music.

“I think it went really well,” said Tere Richardson, executive director of Athens Main Street. “Most of my merchants said they have done better this year than they did last year. I cannot thank our patrons enough for coming out and supporting our small businesses.”

Chamber President Jennifer Williamson said as many of the related activities as possible were moved outdoors this year in order to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“We had such beautiful weather, which allowed us to be outside,” Williamson said. “We wanted to keep everyone safe and healthy.”

Richardson said the event was not only a success for the vendors but for the restaurants and shops around The Square as well.

“We had a good, measured flow of customers in the shops,” she said. “I talked to several merchants, and they said it never got too crowded. People were self-regulating that, and the vast majority of people wore masks inside.”

Richardson said the artificial ice skating rink is always a hit with children and families. The rink even featured a “snow” machine that added to the holiday atmosphere.

Pictures with Santa Claus are also a popular part of the open house. Masked children and parents waited eagerly in line to get their photo taken with the bearded gift giver, who took time out of his busy schedule, along with Mrs. Claus, to ask the children what they wanted for Christmas.

A new edition to the open house was horse-drawn carriage rides around The Square, which entrepreneur Stan Smith began earlier this month. He takes groups of people on a ride starting at the courthouse steps and through the historic district downtown.

“I have seen a ton of positive feedback on social media about the carriage rides,” Richardson said. “People have said they have really enjoyed them.”

Despite this year’s open house having to be planned around the COVID-19 pandemic, both Richardson and Williamson said they felt it was a success.

“We are so excited to have had such a successful Christmas weekend,” Williamson said. “We felt like it was a great weekend for the community, and we were thrilled to see everyone come out and support our local small businesses as they kick off the holiday season.”