ARCOLA - The Arcola Main Street Christmas was well attended on Dec. 13, as the streets filled with families enjoying the festive season.
It started with a pancake breakfast in the lobby of the Arcola Rink, and families could take advantage of the free skating until the hockey games started.
Inside the Prairie Place Complex, a large craft and trade show with 35 vendors filled up with visitors looking for those unique, handmade items for Christmas. Ornaments, wooden items, bath beads and soaps, baked goods and so much more were available for last-minute shoppers.
At the door, items had been donated by the vendors for people to enter to win.
Throughout the show, lunch was served by volunteers from the RBC Bank in Carlyle. Soup and sweets were served with a smile, and tables were filled with people enjoying lunch and socializing.
The Arcola Optimist Hall was a busy place as young and old brought in their gingerbread houses for the contest. This year, the 12-and-under group had a lot of entries, making it exceedingly difficult to choose a winner. A new category allowed entrants to use anything on the gingerbread house.
Children had the opportunity to pick up a passport at the hall and have it stamped throughout the day at the different places they visited. When completed, they were handed it in and one was picked as the winner. Emryn Lang was the winner of two free passes to the Mac Murray Theatre.
Arcola Food had specials running all day, and Kevin Paton’s antique shop had a steady line of visitors checking out things from the past.
In the afternoon Santa Claus came to the Optimist Hall and families could have their photo taken with the jolly old man. Kids were thrilled to see Santa and offered to tell him what was on their wish list for Christmas.
At the library, kids had a chance to make a Christmas craft, and at the Arcola High House, decorating a cookie was on the menu. Events were well attended.
A horse-drawn wagon was filled consistently as it offered rides around town, and the Mac Murray Theatre hosted a free children's Christmas movie, with the option of popcorn and drinks.
Moose Mountain Reformed Baptist Church read kids a Christmas story, served hot apple cider and hot chocolate. They kept the Christmas spirit going with the singing of carols.
The school gymnasium was the place to be for a new game called sock snowball. Participants were asked to bring a pair of new socks for the food bank.
Next to the post office on Main Street, the fire department had free hot chocolate and when the sun began to set, the Arcola Co-op served up free hot dogs around a bonfire, which lasted well into the evening.
This event was started to boost the love of Christmas to the community, and organizers look forward to seeing everyone in 2025.
