BUCHANAN — In the days after Thanksgiving, many Buchanan residents will start looking forward to a white Christmas. However, they will first experience a White Saturday.

The Buchanan Chamber of Commerce will host its second annual White Saturday event, which combines downtown Small Business Saturday with traditional Buchanan holiday activities, such as the holiday lighting ceremony, on Saturday, Nov. 25.

“This used to a standalone shop local/Small Business Saturday event,” said Buchanan Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Randy Hendrixson. “We decided to take what has become a traditional holiday lighting ceremony and combine it with the Small Business Saturday event, and last year was our first year doing that, combining it with the holiday parade and lighting.”

Hendrixson said the move to merge Buchanan’s Small Business Saturday event with the city’s annual holiday activities was spurred by the fact that previously the two events had been hosted on consecutive weekends, which resulted in decreased participation at the holiday lighting ceremony.

“We wanted people to be able to come out and experience more than one thing,” he said. “The weekend after Thanksgiving is also the perfect time to host it, because people tend to be off work, rather than the first weekend in December when people tend to be very busy.”

The all-day event will start with shopping and activities from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Several local businesses will have special deals in celebration of White Saturday.

For Hendrixson, seeing local businesses get involved in the White Saturday event has been his favorite part of planning the event.

“Seeing the local businesses get into it is exciting,” he said. “It’s fun to see the businesses get involved in the community.”

During this time, Mill Alley will host vendors such as Fernwood Botanical Gardens, which will host a wreath making activity. The Buchanan District Library will allow children to write letters to and visit Santa, decorate holiday cookies and view a magic show. The Buchanan Art Center will also host craft tables for adults and children to take part in.

At 5:30 p.m., a holiday parade will begin on Front Street, followed by the holiday lighting ceremony from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The lighting ceremony will involve a “flipping of the switch” turning on all Buchanan’s holiday lights. The lighting ceremony will also feature Christmas music, caroling and pictures with Santa.

“This ceremony really is the way we kick off the holiday season in Buchanan,” Hendrixson said.

Finally, the White Saturday event will conclude with an after party at the community center with cookies and hot chocolate provided by the Buchanan Area Senior Center and the Buchanan-Galien Lions Club.

Hendrixson had high hopes for the event, and said that he hopes the community will turn out to join the festivities.

“We want people to come out, shop and have fun,” Hendrixson said. “It gives our citizens, and people who are in town for the holidays, something fun to do and enjoy.”