By Jerelyn Craden

Ho! Ho! Ho! Santa’s coming to Minden on Saturday, Nov. 19, and you won’t want to miss him! The magic starts at 11 a.m. as Christmas floats parade from the Arena parking lot to Bobcaygeon Road through Minden’s downtown and finishing at the Township municipal parking lot. The Pipes and Drums of Lindsay will fill visitors’ eyes and ears with excitement, colour and festive sounds setting up the arrival of Santa Claus on the final float in the parade.

From there, it’s onto Christmas in the Village at the Minden Cultural Centre, 176 Bobcaygeon Road, where people will gather for a full-on old-fashioned pre-Christmas experience. 

Shannon Kelly, manager of Cultural Services, Township of Minden Hills, helped fill in the picture. “Staff and volunteers will be decorating the heritage village on Dec. 3 with Christmas lights, wreaths and ornaments. Santa will be there when the parade ends, so children can bring their Christmas lists and visit with him. There will also be a mailbox set up where kids can leave their Christmas letter that will be mailed after the event.”

Running from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the fully decorated Christmas in the Village – with anticipated attendance of 500 visitors – offers a festive cornucopia of historic homes, a colourful outdoor Artisan’s Christmas Market with fifteen vendors, home baked goods made and sold by volunteers at historic Bowron House, an old-fashioned candy shop in another historic home, plus free hot chocolate and apple cider for all to enjoy. 

And, it doesn’t stop there.

The whole family can have fun exploring the unique hand-made items at the outdoor Artisans’ Christmas Market, sure to inspire those as-yet-to-be-gotten special Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers.

Among this year’s fifteen local artisans is Celine Duguay who will be selling wood-turned bowls, platters, Christmas ornaments, lidded boxes, and salt and pepper mills.

Laura Walker will display and sell her driftwood/sea glass and pebble art.

And, first-time vendor at Christmas in the Village, Mary Ann Gonneau, whose business she calls, The Backyard Bear, will offer her popular upcycled mittens, as well as hand-painted farm animals and wildlife portraits on driftwood and Christmas tree bulbs. 

“I buy old interesting looking sweaters,” Gonneau said, “many that your granny might have but that you would never wear, and I cut out around the designs and make one-of-a-kind mittens.” She also sells hand-painted Christmas cards, gift tags and bookmarks using found materials.

With the magic of Christmas soon to fill our minds and hearts, Minden’s Christmas in the Village at the Minden Cultural Centre is an experience created to inspire the community by bringing people together in the spirit of joy and goodwill to all.

For more information, visit: www.mindenhills.ca or call 705-286-1260, ext. 542.

To inquire about joining the parade with an additional float, contact Tanya at tbudgen@mindenhills.ca.