Members and friends of the Rockport Chamber of Commerce (a division of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce) are already hard at work planning for the 2011 edition of Christmas in Rockport. Every year since 1985 the month-long Christmas in Rockport celebration of the season has offered a unique blend of the old and the new. The Christmas in Rockport planning committee is seeking broad business and community support, hoping to make this year’s 27th annual holiday season celebration Rockport’s best ever.

All Rockport businesses are invited and encouraged to support the program, which has a budget of over $10,000. This budget includes the publication of the 2011 Holiday Calendar and Guide, holiday entertainment and special events, and advertising online, on radio, and in print throughout the North of Boston region. 2011 will usher in new holiday events, including the ‘Seashells and Jingle Bells’ Inn & Home Kitchen Tour on December 10 while bringing back traditional favorites from Christmases past. These include Santa’s Arrival by Boat and the Dock Square Tree Lighting Ceremony set for December 3, the Gallery Stroll and Seaside Village Open House on December 10 and 11, the 66th annual Christmas Pageant on December 17, and the 15th edition of New Year’s Rockport Eve on December 31.

Regularly updated schedules, program information, and holiday calendars of activities will be soon be available on line at www.rockportusa.com and www.ChristmasinRockport.com. Businesses and community members wishing to sponsor the program or participate in the planning should contact the Rockport Chamber of Commerce at 978-546-6575 as soon as possible.