‘Tis the season of festive decorations, certainly, but a walk around downtown Washington, and a peek at downtown merchants’ store windows, offers some uniquely themed Christmas displays. If they remind one of Christmas movies past, that’s because they’re meant to.

It’s all part of the Christmas Movies Scavenger Hunt, part of the Washington Harbor District Alliance’s Hometown Holidays celebration. The premise is simple: pick up of a card at any downtown store, take a tour and find the windows that best represent 12 classic Christmas movies, like “A Christmas Story,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “Miracle on 34^th Street,” and more. Cards can be returned to any participating store, as well. And on Jan 2, a drawing with the completed cards will determine the winners of gift certificates to or merchandise from Stewart’s Jewelry Store, Inner Banks Artisans’ Center, Tasteful Creations, Big Bargain Furniture, River Girl, Little Shoppes, Cottage Junkies, South Market Antiques, Phillip Wright Furniture and Bloom Women’s Apparel.

While the scavenger hunt is an ongoing enterprise, tonight, many merchants of downtown are staying open late for after-work Christmas shoppers, and many of the galleries will extend their hours for Art Walk — a monthly invitation to simultaneous art exhibits and receptions at Lone Leaf Gallery and Custom Framing, Art Tyndall Studio, the Turnage Theater, River Walk Gallery and Arts Center and Inner Banks Artisans’ Center.

Downtown will be steeped in holiday spirit, as business owners add Christmas cheer to their holiday merchandise: at Bank Bistro & Bar, holiday music will be played from the front porch of the historic West Main Street building; at Little Shoppes, the experts in bow making will share their skills, a cider and cookies, with novice gift-wrappers; and at Salon 208, children ages 5 to 8 and small pets are invited to take a portrait with Santa. The Missing Ink will offer Christmas face painting for children from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; G.W. Walker & Sons will be serving hot chocolate to chilly pedestrians; and at 7 p.m. the classic Christmas movie “A Christmas Story” will be shown for free at Washington Book Store & Coffee Co. Wine & Words…& Gourmet will have wine and food tastings, Schmitt’s Jewelers will offer hot cider and homemade molasses cookies, while Coldwell Banker Coastal Rivers Realty will offer children the chance to decorate their own Christmas cookies.

Vocalist Delores Morgan, from River City Christian Center, will play Christmas standards at Stewart’s Jewelry Store’s annual holiday open house—an afterhours chance to sign up for the raffle that will net one lucky winner a $1,000 gift certificate to the store.

According to storeowner Betty Stewart, the Friday night extended hours up and down Main and Market streets not only give those working during the day a chance to shop at night, but also allows downtown to shine.

“You know our decorations look so pretty at night and you can’t see that during the day,” Stewart said.

Outside the store’s back door, a manger scene is lit throughout the night; in the front windows, a quirky character from one of those classic movies cavorts among the jewelry on display.

In all, a certainly festive Friday awaits shoppers in downtown Washington tonight.