Caledonia's Christmas in Caledonia is cumulative efforts of many
Barbara A. Martindale- For What It's Worth November 25, 2013
Celebrations for Christmas are very much on the minds of everyone. Once Remembrance Day is over, it is time to get ready for Christmas no matter where you might be in Canada, but it is certainly the case in Caledonia. This weekend is the cumulative efforts of many people.
Nowadays, more than two months of getting ready are what it takes in Caledonia.
Yes, the Christmas street snowflakes were installed on November 12, but Special Projects take longer to get them ready for installation. Once they are up, all other decorations appear.
The committee coordinating Christmas in Caledonia festivities, including Light Up Night, begin preparations in September. The Caledonia Marketing Collective is out there in October preparing its special edition to promote the business Christmas specials and events for Christmas in Caledonia.
The Kinsmen Club plans for a good two months to put on an exciting Santa Claus parade and the Presbyterian Church people plan ahead for Breakfast with Santa.
The Old Mill Festival of Sound and Lights display doesn't just appear. Behind the scenes are Mike Montgomery and Adam Harrison, who spend hours to make sure this very popular six year old Caledonia tradition kicks off on Light Up Night and continues as a main Christmas feature until the second week in January.
Since 1979, Light Up Night's first year, the event has fallen on the last Thursday in November. That first year, the Santa Claus parade was December 15, Light Up Night was November 29. It isn't certain when the "golden rule" for the Light Up Night date came into effect, but for many years now Light Up Night is the last Thursday in November, providing the last Saturday for the Santa Claus parade also falls in November. This becomes confusing, but that so-called policy is always followed.
Some will remember 1979, the year that new decorations were purchased thanks to individuals and business who went all out, answering the call for funds to pay for them. Caledonia really didn't have street decorations until that year and huge excitement prevailed for Lite-up Night (spelled differently back then).
Since 1979, Light Up Night has donned two more variations of street lighting.
New street decorations for the second time meant another campaign in 1997 was needed to pay for undecorated wreaths and a huge effort on the part of volunteers who spent hours and hours to manufacture. Proud of their accomplishment and tenacity, the wreaths cost half what the price would have been if purchased already manufactured.
The town of Arthur purchased the 1979 set of lights in 1997. The 1997 wreaths were purchased by Jarvis and Cayuga in 2012.
The third set of some 60 new street snowflakes were partially put up for the first time last year. The full set of snowflakes are what we see today thanks to the Special Projects fellows. There was no campaign to raise funds this time. However, a year of planning and volunteer work by Special Projects not to mention generous financial help produced the remarkable, unique Christmas decorations for Caledonia.
Preparations by "Olive,” a hit on the Light Up Night stage and her colouring contest carefully done by school kids create excitement, screams and smiles. Longtime Santa Claus (Peter Ashbaugh) in the Kinsmen parade is the current Citizen of the Year. With renewed training, Scotty McKinnon too will be part of the festivities. The Stars on Stage princesses and Disney icons also add that something extra for the Christmas in Caledonia festivities.
Enjoy the weekend for Caledonia's start to the Christmas season and take advantage of all those wonderful specials and prizes throughout our business community.
