As the strains of Christmas music echoed through the air on Sunday afternoon, downtown Elizabethton came to life with signs of the Christmas spirit.

Hundreds flocked to the historic downtown area on Sunday afternoon for what is fast becoming an annual holiday tradition.

Businesses in the downtown district hosted the annual Downtown Christmas Open House on Sunday afternoon. Shoppers enjoyed special treats, excellent sales, and even some entertaining performances as part of this year’s event. There was also a special visit from Santa as he took a break from the North Pole to visit with shoppers at Simple Blessings General Store.

Dancers from East Tennessee Ballet Academy treated shoppers to mini performances of their upcoming production of The Nutcracker. The troupe stopped at several locations throughout downtown to dance and share information about the upcoming show. ETBA will present The Nutcracker at Milligan College’s Gregory Center with performances on Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and a performance on Dec. 10 at 2:30 p.m.

Blue River Studio featured demonstrations by local artists and a book signing by a local storyteller and author.

Those visiting the shops inside the Ritz Mall were treated to Fara Baroumes playing holiday music on the violin.