Shepherdtown Mayor James Gatz thanks Judy Shepherd during the 2025 tree lighting event.
For thirty years, Shepherdstown resident Judy Shepherd has presided over the town’s day-after-Thanksgiving tree lighting and welcomed Santa to kick off the holiday season. Shepherd started the “welcome to Christmas” event in the mid 1990s with her three children, Jenny, Jacque, and Chris. Former Shepherdstown resident Jimmy Crain has filled the role of Santa for the past decade.
To honor Shepherd’s decades of service, Shepherdstown Mayor James Gatz and the Town Council adopted a proclamation that was read during this year’s tree lighting ceremony to “recognize Judy Shepherd as the “Heart of Shepherdstown” in honor of her more than thirty years of dedication to Christmas in Shepherdstown and her enduring impact on the life and spirit of our community.”
According to a Shepherdstown Good News Paper story from April 2016, Shepherd and her family have been organizing holiday events since the mid-1980s. Her first event was a haunted hall in her house on German Street. That event continues today in the Community Club. The Welcome to Christmas event started in the mid-1990s.
On December 6, Shepherd and Crain will travel down German Street together for a final parade before hanging up their red hats and passing the tradition on to new volunteers.
Shepherdstown’s Proclamation
WHEREAS, for more than thirty years, Judy Shepherd has devoted her time, energy, and creative spirit to organizing Christmas in Shepherdstown, a beloved community celebration that brings joy to residents and visitors alike; and
WHEREAS, through her vision and tireless leadership, Judy Shepherd has transformed the holiday season in Shepherdstown into a magical time of unity, tradition, and cheer-filling our streets with lights, music, laughter, and goodwill; and
WHEREAS, her steadfast commitment to the community has inspired generations of volunteers, artisans, and local businesses to take part in this cherished event, strengthening the bonds that make Shepherdstown such a special and welcoming place; and
WHEREAS, Judy’s generosity, warmth, and unwavering dedication have earned her the admiration, affection, and gratitude of countless townspeople, who recognize her as a guiding spirit and true embodiment of Shepherdstown’s community heart; and
WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the Corporation of Shepherdstown publicly acknowledge Judy Shepherd’s extraordinary service and celebrate her lasting contributions to the town’s character and traditions;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor and Town Council of the Corporation of Shepherdstown do hereby recognize Judy Shepherd as the “Heart of Shepherdstown” in honor of her more than thirty years of dedication to Christmas in Shepherdstown and her enduring impact on the life and spirit of our community.
