Santa waves to the crowd during last years Parade of Lights in Sidney.
With Christmas right around the corner, it's time to gear up for the annual Christmas Stroll. "It's a Small Town Christmas" is the theme for this year's event, which is put on by the Chamber of Commerce. It will take place on November 29, the day after Thanksgiving.
It's going to be a day packed full of great events that everyone can enjoy. The day's events will kick off at 8 a.m. with Breakfast with Santa, held at the Boys and Girls Club, something that has become a tradition for the club. Breakfast with Santa will go until 10 a.m.
Santa will also be at Reese & Ray's IGA from 9-11 a.m. to decorate cookies with help from the volunteers from Fort Union. So, if your kiddos are looking for a sugar rush with Santa, be sure to swing by store and get messy with frosting, sprinkles and more!
If you're looking for something a little less sweet than cookies, Reynolds Market and the Fire Department are sponsoring a Chili Cook-off at the old fire hall from 11 a.m. till 2 p.m. To sign up you can stop by the customer service desk at Reynolds or message the Reynolds Facebook Page. There will be some great prizes awarded to the winners of the cook-off, so sign up soon and get in on the fun!
Don't forget, a town favorite and what has become a tradition for law enforcement; the Polar Plunge. It's going to be set up behind City Hall and starts at 1 p.m. Law enforcement teams up year after year with the folks from the Special Olympics and hosts the Polar Plunge.
Singles, couples and teams collect donations from sponsors leading up to the event. The huge pool or dunk tank is filled with cold water and quite a few bags of ice that they jump into, raising money for the Special Olympics. To make it more fun, most of the participants find funny and inventive costumes to wear for the big jump.
While it tends to be a chilly day for the Christmas Stroll, the next event is one where you can cozy up inside and get warm! At 2 p.m. stroll over to the Centre Theatre and catch a movie with Santa. This year will be featuring a few different cartoons. Suitable for all ages, this is a good event that the whole family can enjoy.
The annual Parade of Trees at the Boys and Girls Club will kick off at 2 p.m. with the viewing. The viewing will run until 3:30 p.m. when the auction will kick off and go until 4 p.m. Local businesses, clubs and individuals put a lot of time into decorating trees to be auctioned off for this event. You can count on creative and innovative ideas every year. So even if you won't take part in the auction, it's still a fun event to check out.
Starting at 3 p.m., Ben McDowell at RestorX will have a fun petting zoo, a fun activity for everyone. He is going to have goats, small horses and some dogs that you can pet and enjoy. While it wasn't officially a part of the day's activities last year and more of a private event, this is the first year the petting zoo will be a part of a Christmas Stroll and a great new addition.
Another new addition this year is a yummy new treat that everyone will love. At 5:30 p.m., in the lot across from RestorX, Reynolds will be hosting the S'mores Stroll Stop. Stop on by to stack some S'mores and get a nice little snack before the Parade of Lights starts. Keep in mind to get there quick! They're only available while supplies last, so don't miss out.
At 6:30 p.m. you can head on down for the start of the Parade of Lights. This will head north, starting in the parking lot of Western Choice, the old Cenex. The parade will end at Reese & Ray's IGA. There will be fun, decorated floats, live entertainment and Santa.
Cutting Edge Dance will be performing a few different dances for the audience to enjoy. Switching things up a bit, a young Richland County local, Felixe Becker will show off his violin and piano skills as well. More live entertainment will include Alyson Schriver from Fairview. She'll be singing some holiday festive songs. Be sure to keep your eye out, as the Sidney Rockettes will be featured during the parade as well. You can always count on the Rockettes to put on an exciting performance!
While there's so many activities going on throughout the day, it's also a good chance to support local businesses and check out some of the stores and maybe even get a head start on your Christmas Shopping. Another perk to looking around the shops? Throughout the day there will also be groups from town that will be selling goodies such as baked goods and more in front of some of the downtown business.
It's a day packed full of fun that everyone will enjoy. Make sure to take part.
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