It will look a lot like Christmas this Friday and Saturday as all the merchants in Rock Island will be participating in a two-day extravaganza called A Rock Island Christmas.

One of the highlights will be illuminating the Rock Island arch with Christmas lights in a lighting ceremony set to take place Friday at 5:30 p.m. Santa Claus himself is also expected to make appearances during the celebration scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

“Everybody has their shops decorated and everybody is participating,” said Beth Campbell, one of the event organizers. “They will have Christmas candy and cookies and stuff like that and everyone will be getting in the Christmas spirit. It will be a great time to come and shop.”

A Rock Island Christmas will include Rock Island Treasures, which is located in Campaign in the old Levi’s plant. It’s the only shop not in the traditional Rock Island business district. Once in Rock Island, shops from Rock Island Center to The Lazy Daisy will be open with holiday cheer.

The Christmas celebration is on the heels of a successful fall festival in Rock Island that brought hundreds of visitors to the area.

“I couldn’t believe the number of people who live right here in Warren County who told me they had never been to Rock Island before,” said Campbell of talking to visitors at the fall festival. “We had an unbelievable turnout for that and we’re expecting it to be just as good for this.”

Students in the Industrial Electrical class at Tennessee College of Applied Technology have helped with wiring to illuminate the Rock Island arch with Christmas lights.