ThisWeek CW 11/23/2011
Santa Claus is coming to town for an early visit, and the city is inviting local families to enjoy the annual Christmas in the Village event to kick off the holiday season.
Prior to that, the Canal Winchester Area Chamber of Commerce has scheduled its annual holiday party auction from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 29 at Pope John XIII Catholic Church, 5170 Winchester-Southern Road NW.
Chamber president Kim Rankin said the auction gives residents a chance to do a little holiday shopping while supporting local businesses.
“The live auction includes lots of gift certificates for local business as well as a night’s stay at Coco Key resort and other great gifts,” she said.
Tickets are $10 each and are available at the chamber office, 20 N. High St. Hors d’oeuvres will be served and there will be a cash bar. Proceeds will support chamber programs.
Christmas in the Village begins at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, with a holiday parade. The city’s safety services department will deliver Santa to Stradley Place for the 6:30 p.m. tree-lighting ceremony.
“Santa will ride in on a fire truck again this year and help with the tree lighting,” Canal Winchester spokeswoman Diane Mays said. “Then Santa will take his place in the Huntington Bank to meet with the children.”
Christmas in the Village runs through 9:30 p.m. Dec. 2 and will resume with another parade at 4:15 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. Events that day will continue until 8 p.m.
This free event is open to the public and is sponsored by the city, the Canal Winchester Area Chamber of Commerce and Destination: Canal Winchester.
Besides visiting with Santa at Huntington Bank, Christmas in the Village features children’s games and crafts inside Chase Bank, 8 S. High St., electric trains and a craft bazaar at the Frances Steube Community Center, 22 S. Trine St.; ice sculptures and a popcorn station at Stradley Place; horse-drawn carriage rides, leaving from in front of Huntington Bank, 37 S. High St.; hayrides featuring a wagon pulled by an antique tractor, in front of the municipal building, 36 S. High St.; children’s crafts inside Town Hall, 10 N. High St., and children’s train rides across from Town Hall.
“In past years, we’ve had close to 1,000 visitors to our Christmas village,” Mays said. “Along with all of the events, there will also be drop boxes for food pantry donations to benefit the Adopt-a-Family holiday program.”
Breakfast with Santa is planned for Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Frances Steube Community Center, 22 S. Trine St.
It offers an opportunity for children to enjoy a pancake-and-egg breakfast with Santa, take photos and receive a special gift bag.
Parents should bring their own cameras.
“The annual Breakfast with Santa usually sells out,” Mays said. “However, there are still tickets available at this time.”
There will be two breakfasts, one from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and another from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Each seating is limited to 75 participants. Tickets are $5 each and are required for both children and adults. Children younger than 1 are admitted free.
Tickets are available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the community Center and at the Municipal Office Building, 36 S. High St. Tickets may also be purchased at Village Wines & Bistro, 600 W. Waterloo St.
“Both events have several local business sponsors. That’s especially great for the Breakfast with Santa event because it means that all the money we collect from tickets will be able to go directly to the Adopt-a-Family program,” Mays said.