WAYNETOWN — Waynetown residents will kick off their Christmas celebrations with numerous events beginning Saturday. Once again the town has added to its Christmas season event line-up.
This year the town has added a Christmas Village event 2-7 p.m. Saturday at the town’s park. Twenty-four vendors have registered to participate. Most vendors will sell homemade gift items and baked goods. Vendors will be set up in booths in the park.
The annual Christmas in the Park Lighting Celebration will commence at 7 p.m. Saturday with live entertainment on the park stage. Scheduled to appear are choirs from Sommer Elementary School, Northridge Middle School and an ensemble from North Montgomery High School.
Free refreshments will be served beginning at 7 p.m. with the official countdown to turn on nearly 50 Christmas displays taking place at 7:35 p.m. along with a short fireworks show. Hitting the light switch will be Karsyn Hubble, 8, who was selected for submitting the top coloring page in a contest at Fountain Trust Company. Santa is also scheduled to make an appearance during the event.
Children can drop off letters to Santa at the mailbox under the Rusk shelter at the park during the ceremony. Letters will be answered by Santa and his elves.
This year there will be an Armed Services Tree with names of local servicemen and women who are stationed overseas. Each name will include an address and instructions on how to ship a care package to the person serving in the armed services. Attendees are encouraged to choose a name to send a holiday package abroad.
The displays will remain lit all month as many visitors are expected to visit the park, especially at night, to see the displays provided by families, businesses civic groups and churches.
Attendees will be asked to participate in voting for the People’s Choice display during the ceremony.
The lighting ceremony is sponsored by the Waynetown Merchants Association, Crawfordsville Radio WCVL 92.1 FM, Bob Campbell Pioneer Seeds, Busse Excavating, Purple Sound, Town of Waynetown and Christmas in the Park Committee.
The Waynetown Community Christmas Concert and Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Waynetown Christian Church. A free vegetable soup meal will be served followed by the concert. The Waynetown Community Choir, under the direction of Karen Fruits and Kathryn Eads, will present a variety of songs along with videos and readings.
The event is sponsored by the Waynetown Interchurch Committee.
Festivities continue 8:30-11 a.m. Dec. 14 at the Waynetown Fire Station with Breakfast with Santa. Pancakes, sausage, juice or coffee will be served. Santa will visit 9-11 a.m. Cost of the meal is a free-will donation to the Waynetown Cub Scout Pack 365 or one non-perishable food item per attendee. Sponsoring the breakfast is the Cub Scouts, Kids Against Hunger and the Waynetown Volunteer Fire Department.
Santa will make another appearance at the fire station 12:30-2:30 p.m. Dec. 14. Attendees can have photos taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus in an antique sleigh. Children can also tell Santa their Christmas gift wish list. There will be free refreshments. The event is sponsored by Fountain Trust Company, Waynetown Fire Department and Waynetown Police Department.
