The sound of jingle bells and the sparkle of festive lights was the backdrop for Christmas Open House in downtown Hope tonight as the holiday season got off to a merry start. The Hope Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce facilitated the event and many more organizations joined in the fa la la la fun.  Steve and Celia Montgomery sponsored this year’s carriage rides and Hope Tourism began their seasonal holiday attraction with the opening night of the Ice Rink at the Hub. Hot chocolate booths were placed all around downtown, courtesy of local businesses and organizations, in addition to entertainment by Hope Public Schools cheerleaders and other groups. Many downtown shops were open with holiday specials, plus different vendors were set up on the sidewalks just to offer a little more variety for holiday shoppers.  Chamber Director Christy Burns said this year was the best yet. “I think this year was bigger and better than ever!” Burns said. “We have many more participating this year: businesses, organizations, and vendors. Some of our businesses have great new items just for the shopping; plus, the restaurants will be open and there is hot chocolate on every corner. We want to thank everyone who helped make this event a success; there are so many who helped make this year’s Christmas Open House an fun, festive event.” (See full list beleow) The night won’t end when the shopping is over though because Christmas movies will be showing downtown in the pocket park starting at 7 PM, brought to the community by The Hempstead County Historical Society, Southwest Arkansas Arts Council, and Hope Downtown Network. Plus, the Ice Rink will be open until 8:30pm.