County Christmas kicks off

Colfax

The Colfax Winterfest festivities are slated for today with vendors, the Festival of Trees, Santa Clause and a lighted parade.

There will be pop-up shops in several locations, including in The Center, the DeHart building at 213 N. Main St. and the Masonic Temple. Also, artisans will be back in the former Nostalgia building at 103 S. Main Street. The shops will run from 3 to 7 p.m., and the artisans will run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Several downtown businesses also are planning extended hours, and some will have sales and promotions.

Santa Claus will make a special visit to The Center beginning at 3 p.m. and will be available for photos until 5:30 p.m.

Today is also the last day to turn in Passports to Colfax to be entered in a drawing for $200 worth of gift cards to local businesses. Passports can be turned in at the Perkins House. The drawing will be conducted later today, and the winner will be contacted.

The Festival of Trees will kick off today in The Center and at local businesses. People can vote for their favorite trees throughout the month at The Center, and there will be four prizes awarded this year, including people’s choice, best theme, children’s favorite and judge’s choice.

The Festival of Trees is sponsored by the Colfax Chamber of Commerce and the Friends of the Library.

Winner of the Festival of Trees will be announced at a reception at The Center Dec. 21.

The lighted parade is scheduled for tonight at 6 p.m.

The parade will begin on Mill at city hall and proceed south to Canyon Street, west on to Main Street and north on Main to Upton at the courthouse.

A fireworks display will follow the parade.

Rosalia

Santa Claus will start a busy day of visits Saturday with a stop in Rosalia at the Budding Rose Art Gallery. For his Rosalia stop, he will also bring along Mrs. Claus.

“It’s the annual Lion’s Club give back to the community event,” said Diane Nebel, who owns the gallery.

The Lion’s Club is sponsoring Santa’s visit and will take free pictures of youngsters and/or families.

Nebel said Santa and Mrs. Claus will be available for pictures and visiting from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Santa’s coming, and he’ll bring goodies,” said Nebel.

Also in Rosalia on Saturday is the annual holiday craft show. Jenna McDonald, town clerk/treasurer, said the craft show will be at the community center for most of the day with more than 20 vendors selling homemade gifts.

The craft fair will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Endicott

Endicott’s annual Christmas celebration is booked for Saturday with a children’s play, Chinese lanterns, fireworks and a special visit from Santa Claus.

The fun will begin with a community children’s Christmas play at 3:30 p.m. at the Trinity Lutheran Church.

“It’s what every Christmas play is,” said Pastor Phil Misner. “It’s the story of the birth of Jesus.”

The play is titled “Get the Story Straight” and features a cast and narrators who guide the story along.

“But the cast keeps getting it wrong,” explained Misner, noting the narrators offer the corrections to get the story straight.

“The kids are having a lot of fun with it,” he said.

The play has 30 to 40 children on the cast list, mostly made up of pre-school and elementary children from all over the community.

Following the play at around 5 p.m., Chinese lanterns can be purchased to be lit and then released. The lanterns are $5 each, and the money raised from lantern purchases will go toward fireworks for next year’s Fourth of July and Christmas.

“We buy extra fireworks at Fourth of July for Christmas,” said Nancy Anderson, whose husband, Tony, heads up the fireworks displays along with John Langston.

The fireworks display will follow the lantern release. The fireworks and lanterns will both be in the Anderson lot across from the Endicott Food Center. The fireworks will welcome Santa Claus to town with a bang.

“He’s always the last thing that happens,” said Anderson.

Santa is set to arrive just after the fireworks display, and everyone will have the chance to visit with him while he is in town.

Cinda Tribble, Endicott Community Club president, said Santa will be at the Endicott Food Center to visit with children and have treats and hot chocolate.

“It’s lots of fun,” said Tribble.

Parents are welcome to take photos at the event; an official photographer will not be on duty, she noted.

St. John

St. John’s 24th annual Winterfest celebration is booked for Saturday with an array of events and several businesses planning promotions for the day.

The festivities there will include a craft fair, an ugly sweater contest, egg toss, pictures with Santa, kid’s crafts, downtown shopping, the lighted torch parade and a fireworks display.

The craft fair will begin at 10 a.m. at the St. John Fire Station. More than 25 vendors are booked to be on hand. Businesses will also be open for downtown shopping, and several of them plan discounts, promotions and prizes for customers.

Santa Claus will be on hand throughout the day at CHS Primeland and available for pictures.

The Rialto Tavern and St. John Inn Café will be open for lunch, and there will also be soup in the fire station and Cowboy Dawgs will be on the street.

At Funky Junk, there will be free Santa letters with an in-store purchase that day. There will also be an egg toss at 3:30 p.m. there, and cash prizes will be awarded in three age groups for the winners of the toss.

The lighted torch parade will begin with line up at 4:15 p.m. at Primeland, with the actual parade beginning at 4:30 p.m. There will be cash prizes awarded for parade entrants.

A fireworks display downtown will follow the parade.

Winterfest attendees are encouraged to head to the school after the festival and attend the SJE High School basketball games that night. The girl’s varsity team will play at 6 p.m., and the boy’s varsity team will follow at 7:30 p.m.

The following day, Dec. 4, the St. John Community Club’s 24th annual dinner and benefit auction will conclude the Winterfest festivities.

The event begins at 5 p.m. with a cocktail hour and silent auction, with dinner following at 6 p.m. A live auction will follow the dinner.

Tickets for the dinner and benefit auction are $25 and can be purchased at Webb’s Empire Foods. Attendees must be 21 or older. A no-host bar will also be available.