Shelley Lucchesi and Carol Freeman of the Hancock Business Association give a presentation on the Hancock Christmas Walk at Wednesday’s Hancock City Council meeting. (Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette)

HANCOCK — Supermarkets, radio stations, homeowners — all have their own standards for marking the start of the Christmas season. 

Hancock has its own answer, co-signed by families from around the area: It begins when Santa Claus rides down Quincy Street on a fire truck, hops off at Memorial Park and greets the long line of children with Christmas wishlists.

It will happen during the 53rd annual Christmas Walk in downtown Hancock, which runs from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 29. 

Hancock Business Association Vice President Shelley Lucchesi and Treasurer Carol Freeman gave a preview of the event to the Hancock City Council Wednesday night.

It will begin with the Christmas Parade, which starts outside La Cantina and ends at Memorial Park. There, Santa will preside over the tree lighting, which happens at 6:10 p.m. Starting 10 minutes later, kids will be able to visit with Santa. 

Freeman invited council members to participate in the parade, and even take part in the hayride, which will have a wagon pulled by a tractor as well as one pulled by horses.

“It’ll be an exciting evening,” she said. 

Two items are new for this year. Face painting for kids will take place on Quincy Street by Superior National Bank. People will also be able to get snapshots in a photo booth, though the location will depend on the weather. 

The fun will continue throughout the downtown area. Quincy Street will be pedestrian only from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Throughout Quincy Street, people can take their pick of ways to keep warm with fire barrels and hot cocoa stations. They can also travel down the street in style with horse and wagon rides, try out arts and crafts stations, and enjoy live music from the Copper Country Clown Band.

At Quincy Green, people will be able to get in the winter mood with dogsled rides.

Many local businesses will also be offering treats, as well as special sales throughout the night. They will also be decorating their windows in keeping with this year’s theme, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

At the Copper Country Community Arts Center, families can decorate cookies. If those aren’t filling enough, the Griffin Food Truck will have food available in the Superior National Bank parking lot.

The Kivajat Dancers will perform from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Finnish American Heritage Center. 

A popcorn machine will be stationed outside City Hall. So will a Hancock police car, where people will be invited to “Cram the Cruiser” with gifts for the Toys for Tots program.

The department is hiring extra officers for the evening, said Police Chief Tami Sleeman. 

“We already have a box in our front lobby, so we can get people to bring toys for the children,” she said. 

The day of the Christmas Walk, the HBA is also starting its scavenger hunt. Papers will be sent home with Hancock schoolchildren, who will be able to get them stamped at 11 businesses in the city. 

Before the Christmas Walk, Department of Public Works crews are busy putting up Christmas decorations in the city, City Manager Mary Babcock said.

“They’re extremely busy right now lighting up the city here for us,” she said. “I don’t know if any of them will decorate their own homes after they’re done.”