If you haven't already marked your calendar for Dec. 2, you need to do that. That's the date for The Advocate's Holiday Open House. It is also the date of "Busy Sidewalks" in downtown Greenville, and the annual tree lighting in Confederate Park. Sounds like a pretty day, and all this will happen from 4 until 7 p.m.

Many changes have taken place with your Advocate since our last open house, and we've heard from many of you that you like what you see. Of course, we've still got a long list of things on which we are still working.

One of the things on that list will be one of the stars of the show Thursday night, as we unveil it to the public It's something we've been working on for a while, that will help us change the way we interact with our customers on a daily basis.

The new product will be available to all present Advocate readers, as well as new ones. Seeing this unveiled is but one of the reasons to come visit us on Thursday.

Our open house will be from 5 until 7 p.m., and we'll be serving hors' devours and what is supposed to be "out of this world" punch that is specially made by the Advocate crew – I was afraid to ask what is in this stuff. All Advocate reporters and editors will be here, so if there is something you've been wanting to talk to us

about, Thursday evening would be a perfect time.

There will even be holiday specials on newspaper subscriptions – both for yourself and for gifts – and we'll be selling the remaining copies of "A Pictorial History of Butler County" on a first-come-first-serve basis. Several folks have told me they were going to give them for Christmas gifts, and as long as we've got them, we'll be selling them.

We hope you come see us.

"Busy Sidewalks" will kick off the holidays for downtown Greenville, and Greenville Main Street director Nancy Idland said she hopes the event will encourage holiday shoppers to check downtown before traveling out of town to shop.

The annual Christmas tree lighting will be at 5:30 p.m. in Confederate Park, and there will be buggy rides downtown from 4 until 7 p.m.

Idland said that all Main Street merchants will be staying open late, and that a special vintage toy collection will be on display at the Main Street office. Downtown will be decorated for Christmas and there will be carolers on the streets singing up the holiday spirit.

If the holiday season hasn't gotten your spirits up already, getting out to some of the events that are going on Thursday certainly will. We'd sure like to see you at The Advocate.