Sean C. Morgan
The Christmas season in Sweet Home kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on Friday with the Singing Christmas Tree and this year the celebration turns into a week-long series of events.
Things get busy quickly Saturday with the annual Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade and the kickoff for the Warm and Cozy Tour.
The East Linn Museum Bazaar starts at 9 a.m. Saturday and remains open till 4 p.m. in the Sweet Home High School Activity Gym.
The Friends of the Library Holiday Boutique runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Public Library on Friday and Saturday.
The Genealogical Sociey Bazaar runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Genealogy Library, 1223 Kalmia St., on Friday and Saturday.
Judging for the annual Christmas Parade begins at 10 a.m. at Husky Field. The parade starts at 11 a.m. Applications will be accepted through Friday and are available at the Chamber of Commerce office, 1575 Main St., across the street from Safeway.
Photos with Santa will be available inside the SHHS Activity Gym following the parade.
The parade will begin at the Husky Field driveway off Long Street and run west to 10th Avenue.
The parade committee includes Sue Olson, Debbie Olson, Chris Pinto, Chamber President Bruce Hobbs and Chamber Manager Andrea Culy.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Junior Chamber of Commerce will run a Kid’s Store at Amy’s Annex, 1225 Main St., next to Sunshine Espresso.
The bridge lighting on Dec. 11 will replace the tree-lighting ceremony, which hasn’t drawn much attendance the past few years, Culy said. The bridge lighting and festivities at Sankey Park and Weddle Bridge will begin at 5:30 p.m.
The Sweet Home Alumni Foundation’s annual decorated Christmas tree auction will begin at 6 p.m. in the Sweet Home High School cafeteria.
The Singing Christmas Tree’s second performance begins at 7:30 p.m. A matinee will begin at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
As part of the Warm and Cozy Tour, residential light tours will run at 5:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday next week.
Singing Christmas Tree
This year’s Singing Christmas Tree theme is “God Bless Us, Every One,” said board President Sue Olson. The show will feature the usual type of programming, but the adult choir and children’s choir will perform together on a couple of numbers.
David Dominy is continuing in his fourth year as director.
He has been assisted by pianist Bill Langdon and children’s choir director Tegan Johnson since September, Olson said.
The main choir and the children’s choir have 31 members each, Olson said. The adult choir is up from 24 members last year.
The children’s choir is substantially larger than last year, Olson said.
“We had a phenomenal response.”
The Singing Christmas Tree sent an informational letter out to parents through School District 55, including the Charter School, and East Linn Christian Academy earlier this year.
The program includes solos by Johnson and Dominy and a visit from Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus during the intermission and after the show.
A couple of children also will perform solos, Olson said. Three, including Ashley Morrelli, Austin Parrish and Jada Autrey, will begin a performance of “Dona Nobis Pacem,” The adult and children’s choirs will perform the song together.
Parrish will start out “God Bless Us, Every One” as the adult choir performs the number taken from Broadway’s annual performance of “A Christmas Carol.”
Admission is free. Donations to the Singing Christmas Tree are accepted but not necessary to enjoy the program.
In addition to preparing for this weekend’s shows, the Singing Christmas Tree members have been collecting cans at each rehearsal to donate to Sweet Home Emergency Ministries, which provides food and other resources to people in need, Olson said.
Choir members include sopranos Heather Baker, Laura Barrett, Kari Bennett, Corinna Dominy, Lydia Hull, Sherry Johnston, Crystal Kolling, Susan Rice, Debra Roberts, Jennifer Lowe and Frances Wilson; altos Suzanne Dominy, Tegan Johnson, Debora Olson, Sue Olson, Cheri Pickett, Debbie Scofield, Jane Strom, Brittney Wilson and Cheryl Wilson; tenors Ryan Baker, Bob Briana, Kathy Burnett and Jay Kimball; and basses Randy Burnett, George Dominy, Dave Hull, Dave Strom and Scott Weld.
Mike Dominy is tree lighting engineer. Ken Johnston is operations manager.
Warm and Cozy Tour
The second annual Warm and Cozy Tour will be part of a week-long series of holiday events sponsored by Sweet Home Active Revitalization Effort, to be held Dec. 4-11.
During the Warm and Cozy tour, participating businesses will have tour passports and maps for members of the community. Individual participants then visit each of 32 businesses for a stamp, said organizer Nancy Patton. To qualify, a person must take the tour passport personally to each business.
The Warm and Cozy Committee decided to sponsor the event for a full week, rather than just on Saturday as it was last year, Patton said.
“This way the community can take their time going into each business and shopping local.”
The Sweet Home Chamber is co-sponsoring the Warm and Cozy Tour in support of the Shop Local Campaign.
After the Passport is complete, the participant will turn it in at Amy’s Annex, the old dance studio at 1225 12th Ave., from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 11.
In return for a completed Passport, the participant receives tickets to enter into the grand prize drawing of $500 and other cash and prizes.
Each participating business will have coupons to give out for other participating businesses, and each store will have different activities going on throughout the week, Patton said. “This is a great opportunity for the public to spend more time in our local businesses and see all the great things Sweet Home has to offer. The tour starts at the west end of town at OK Country Feed and Supply and ends on the east side at the Point Restaurant.”
April Patton, winner of last year’s grand prize, encouraged people to participate.
“I was very blessed to go out into the community to meet and learn about the local businesses Sweet Home had to offer,” she said. “Winning the cash prize could not have happened at a better time for us. At that time we were not sure how Christmas was going to happen for our three children with our finances so tight. When I was announced the winner I was so excited and knew that my kids were going to have a great Christmas. After all, I owed it to the local businesses and all the people that put all their effort into making the Warm and Cozy Tour such a special holiday event.
“So, again, I say thank you and to everyone who participates good luck and most of all have a great time shopping locally.”
Persons 18 and younger may also participate, and they have an opportunity to also win cash and prizes, Patton said.
The weeklong Christmas celebration includes two new features, the Kids’ Store and the Residential Light Tour.
The store, for young shoppers, will be operated by the Junior Chamber of Commerce at 1225 12th Ave.
“All the gifts are $5 and under,” Culy said. “You have to be 10 and under to shop there.”
The Junior Chamber store also will be open during the Warm and Cozy Tour, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday next week.
Junior Chamber members will help children pick out gifts and wrap the presents, Culy said. She credited Nancy Patton with the idea.
“The kids may shop, have their gift wrapped and gift name tagged and then they can take it home and put it under the tree for their family,” Patton said.
The new Residential Christmas Light Tour will cost $1 per person to help pay for transportation, provided by the Dial-A-Bus program operated through the Sweet Home Senior Center.
The tour bus will load at the Weddle Bridge at Sankey Park on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 5:45 and 6:45 p.m.
Riders will vote for their favorite light display, and winners will be announced at Weddle Bridge on Dec. 11.
Patton also urges the public to drive the route listed in this week’s edition of The New Era.
The Weddle Bridge activities will kick off at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 11. Hot chocolate and cookies will be provided by the Sweet Home Kiwanis Club.
Mayor Craig Fentiman will turn the switch for the lights at 5:30 p.m., and Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive. The Sweet Home High School Choir will perform, and cash and prizes will be given away to some lucky ticket holders. Participants must be present to win.
The lights and decorations on the bridge are sponsored by SHARE and will be installed by Woodchuck Tree Service of Sweet Home. The lights on the trees in Sankey Park were purchased and will be displayed by the Sweet Home CH2M Hill team.
Participating businesses in the Warm and Cozy activities include the following: Sweet Home Florist (1231 Main Street); Friends of the Library (1242 Main); OK Country Feed and Supply (250 Main Street); Trendsetter Salon (780 Long Street); Santiam Feed and Garden (1244 Long Street); Coffee Hut of Sweet Home (2450 Main); Cedar Shack (4156 Hwy. 20); Trash to Treasure (1027 Main); Attitudes Hair Salon (1302 Long); Seamingly Creative (1245 Main); Santiam Physical Therapy (2312 Main); Sweet Home Choppers (4639 Hwy. 20); Deb and Beth’s Hair and Nail Boutique (1351 Main); Cutloose Hair and Nail Co (1358 Main); A & W Restaurant (1010 Main); Sweet Home RV Center (4691 Hwy. 20); Foster Lake Mall (5480 Hwy 20); Steelhead Strength and Fitness (1295 Main); Lilies and Lovelies (1141 Long Street); All Star Pizza (1203 Long St); Mr. Lucky’s Deli (1207 Long); Paula McLaws L.M.T. (1358 B Main); The Point Restaurant (6305 Hwy. 20); Periwinkle Provisions (1101 Main); Rita’s Relics/Oregon Prospecting (1045 Main); American Family Video/Hometown Art (1502 Main); Dan – Dee Sales (610 Main); Dutch Bros (604 Main); Sonia Salon Essentials (729 Long St); South Fork Trading (4309 Main); and Green For All Seasons (1206 Main). The Sweet Home Elks Lodge (440 Osage) will host a breakfast on Sunday Dec. 5 for $4. This is not required on the Tour Passport, but participants will receive extra tickets for an opportunity to receive more gifts at the drawing on Dec. 11.
For any questions, contact Patton, chairwoman of the SHARE Program and Marketing Committee, at (541)409-4276.