Black Friday be damned — to me, the official kickoff of the holiday season is the annual arrival of Waffle Shop at the Downtown Presbyterian Church at 154 Rep. John Lewis Way. (That’s the corner of Fifth Avenue and Church Street, if you haven’t kept up with the street name changes downtown.)
Held on the first Thursday of December for more than a century, Waffle Shop is a fundraiser for the church’s Fish & Loaves meal ministry, where parishioners provide a free meal and essentials for anyone in need every Saturday morning. Their goal this year is to raise $15,000 for the cause through ticket sales, which are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.
What comes with your ticket, you might ask? A whole lot, I might answer.
As far as comestibles go, you’ll get water, spiced tea or Frothy Monkey coffee (Mayor Freddie O’Connell topped off my cup last year), a waffle brunch with grits and a side dish. You can choose from Hattie B's hot chicken tenders (either hot or not), Puckett's country bacon or turkey hash made from DPC's original Waffle Shop recipe, which was passed down on stone tablets through the generations. (Not really, but it’s a great recipe!)
You can shop at a charity bazaar for baked goods, handmade crafts, clothing and other unique holiday gift ideas. Musicians Les Kerr and Brent Stoker will keep the mood jovial with selections of holiday music, and historian Jim Hoobler will lead tours of the historic Egyptian revival sanctuary, an experience worth the whole price of admission. Dr. William Taylor will perform a recital on the church organ and lead a Christmas carol sing-along.
And if the thought of parking downtown gets you down, they’re offering free parking at the Nissan Stadium Lot R North. There are two access gates in this lot — Victory Avenue and South First Street. Old Town Trolley is providing a complimentary shuttle to and from the stadium lot and DPC. A Waffle Shop sign will indicate the shuttle pickup spot.
It’s a wonderful way to kick off your holiday season before the sheer commerciality of it overtakes us all. I’ll see you there!
