No hands were empty during this year’s Christmas Preview in downtown Chico — they were clasped together to not get lost among the thousands of attendees, holding paper cups of hot cocoa and carrying shopping bags of locally-purchased goods.

The annual event took place on Sunday from 4-8 p.m., though streets were closed earlier in the day to allow shops to set up for the evening. Businesses stayed open well past usual hours for the event, each shop offering their own unique promotion to invite customers inside.

This year marked the 47th year of Chico’s Christmas Preview, a tradition that brings the Chico community together to support small businesses. Though it was dark, the streets were full of life — families, ballerinas, police officers, street performers and couples wandered in and ou

See Full Page