A warm holiday spirit and Christmas shopping will happily coexist this weekend in Coupeville.

Rather than the stampedes, pepper spraying and shootouts that plagued major shopping areas throughout the country during Black Friday, historic Coupeville will host a series of events this weekend sure to provide a fun, festive atmosphere to spark the holiday season.

The Greening of Coupeville starts Friday night and continues throughout Saturday with a concert, parade and tree lighting that will attract visitors and residents alike.

“There’ll be a great Christmas spirit going on throughout town,” said Lynda Eccles, executive director for the Central Whidbey Chamber of Commerce.

Concerts on the Cove will present its final performance of the season when the Magical Strings Celtic Yuletide Festival takes place Friday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m. at the Camp Casey auditorium.

Hundreds of people will line Main and Front streets Saturday at 4 p.m. for the annual parade, which features floats, community groups and a visit from Santa Claus.

Following the parade, festival-goers will hike their way up to Cook’s Corner Park to enjoy Christmas carols. Vern and Karl Olsen will lead the singing before participants witness the annual tree lighting.

Staff from the town of Coupeville spent several days stringing lights on all of the bushes and trees growing at the small park located on North Main Street up from Front Street.

If the weather is favorable as predicted, then Christmas decorated boats  from the Oak Harbor Yacht Club will parade their way to Penn Cove and by downtown Coupeville.

The numerous businesses will remain open late Saturday for people to enjoy a bite to eat or shop at the galleries and gifts shops that will provide an unusual gift for the loved one.

Eccles pointed out several bazaars, one in the Coupeville Recreation Hall and the other at the Coupeville United Methodist Church, that are taking place Saturday.

The Penn Cove Players will stroll through town singing carols and then perform a reading of “Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

The Greening of Coupeville is also the perfect time to take part in the annual Red Ticket promotion. Every $20 purchase made at a Coupeville businesses is good for one red ticket for a drawing that will take place Sunday, Dec. 18 on the steps of the Island County Museum. The winner of the Red Ticket Promotion will receive $1,000.