Ad Campaign Positions Bel Air As Magical Holiday Destination

BEL AIR, MD — Noticed Bel Air looking more crowded than usual for the holidays? A new campaign may have something to do with it.

The town of Bel Air has created a campaign called "The Magic of Christmas Returns to Bel Air." It includes TV and radio spots as well as online promotion.

"The idea itself was hatched last year as we began to notice all of the amazing things that were happening in Bel Air," said Patti Sterling, grants coordinator in the town of Bel Air's economic development department. She mentioned the multitude of holiday happenings in the town, from the Christmas parade to the holiday open house at the Liriodendron.

"The impetus was Captain Jim McMahon," she said of the Harford County councilman who is a fixture in the town of Bel Air. "He’s the one who came up with the tagline, 'The Magic of Christmas Returns To Bel Air.' We pulled everybody together to say, 'This is what we’re going to do to cross-promote, to bring everyone downtown. You can get into the holiday spirit downtown, with everything from shopping to concerts.'"

The website where all the magical happenings can be found is at www.ChristmasinBelAir.com.

Here are some of the upcoming events:

• Irish Christmas concert at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at the John Carroll School
• Nutcracker for Preschool at 9:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 15, at the Bel Air Armory
• Harford Choral Society Winter Concert at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, at St. Mathew Lutheran Church
• Irishmen's Chorale at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, at Bel Air Armory
• Merry Tuba Christmas at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 17, at Bel Air Armory (registration at 2 p.m.)
• Girls Night Out from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 21, in downtown Bel Air
• Holiday Arts and Crafts Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 23, at the Bel Air Armory

According to town officials, the holiday-themed campaign is already paying off.

"It’s been fantastic, and I would say by all accounts it's a success," Sterling told Bel Air Patch on Tuesday. "We’ve seen record crowds. I think you can physically see the foot trafic on Main Street, which has been wonderful."

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Photos by Elizabeth Janney.