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By Dena Martin
The Times 

Hometown Christmas Gets Bigger and Better

This year’s event includes visits from royalty princesses and superheroes

 

November 30, 2017



WAITSBURG – Every year, the second weekend after Thanksgiving, families flock to Waitburg’s Main Street to experience the one-of-a kind delights of Waitsburg’s Hometown Christmas. This year’s 32nd annual event will have all the old favorite festivities, with a few new surprises thrown in.

Hometown Christmas is an all-around volunteer effort with preparations beginning well in advance of the weekend. Main Street becomes a winter wonderland as fire department volunteers hang wreathes and garland on light posts, FFA members set out trees to be decorated by community groups and businesses for the Festival of Trees, business owners outline their windows in white lights and the community Christmas tree take its rightful spot before the Plaza Theater.

Saturday, December 2

Once a Sunday-only event, Hometown Christmas now fills the entire weekend. Festivities kick off at 9 a.m. on Sat., Dec. 2 in Town Hall where Chef Tim will serve breakfast and lunch while local businesses and vendors display their wares for shoppers to get a head start on holiday shopping.

Be sure and check out the decorated trees along Main Street, and place your votes as you enter Town Hall!

Children will want to be sure and stop in between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. for a visit from royalty princesses and superheros! Elsa, Moana and Spiderman will all be on hand to meet-and-greet their young (and not-so-young) admirers.

Pat Gleason will be on hand with cookies and supplies to help kiddos decorate cookies from 1-2 p.m. and Cindy Daves will oversee ornament decorating from 2-3 p.m. The Walla Walla Choral Society will take the Town Hall stage at 3 p.m.

And don’t forget Santa! Mr. Claus will be ready for a photo opportunity (and possibly some goodies) at 10 Ton Press, located at 216 Main Street.

Art lovers will want to visit the jimgermanbar building where Barb Jaksa will have her artistic creations on display from noon – 4 p.m.

Town Hall will close its doors at 4 p.m. on Saturday, just in time for festival-goers to make their way to the elementary school multipurpose room for Turkey Bingo. Doors open at 4 p.m. and the games start at 5 p.m. This popular event is a fundraiser for the American Legion Auxiliary Unit #35.

Sunday, December 3

Vendors will return to Town Hall from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday and Chef Tim will serve breakfast and lunch, from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

The Town Hall stage will begin rocking at noon. Entertainment includes:

Noon-12:30 p.m. Bluegrass Kids

12:30 – 1 p.m. Switchgrass

1-1:30 p.m. Kuykendall Kids

2-3:30 p.m. Jack Sherrill on guitar

Santa will return to 10 Ton Press on Sunday for pictures and visits from 1-3 p.m. And Barb Jaksa’s art will be on display in the jimgermanbar building from noon – 4 p.m.

At 3:30 p.m. Waitsburg FFA members will announce the Festival of Trees winners at town Hall. Drawings for door prizes donated by local merchants will follow. Entry tickets are earned for each $5 spent at a Waitsburg business in the weeks leading up to Hometown Christmas.

Festivities take to the street at 5 p.m. for the annual lighted parade featuring floats, animals, and just about anything with lights. The parade goes off without a hitch, largely due to help from the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office.

“We pay nothing for their assistance and their commitment represents a lot of highly-paid, skilled man hours,” said Waitsburg Commercial Club President Joy Smith.

Revelers can return to Town Hall after the parade and warm their insides at the annual Bill Thompson Memorial Chili Feed. The all-you-can-eat meal, prepared by Chef Bryant Bader of the Whoop em Up Café, costs $5 per person and $20 per family.

Hometown Christmas sponsors include: Waitsburg Commercial Club, Banner Bank, the City of Waitsburg, 10 Ton Press and the Whoop em Up Café.

 

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