Scott Swanson
Sweet Home’s holiday season will kick off this weekend with Christmas lighting events, a downtown shopping extravaganza and the annual Trees for Scholarships Auction.
In a change from recent years – holiday events that have been confined to the first weekend of the month, will continue over the next four weeks, with the annual Christmas Parade and Singing Christmas Tree events on the weekend of Dec. 7-8, along with the traditional holiday bazaars, followed by carriage rides and a live Nativity scene on Dec. 14-15 and visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus on Dec. 22. Throughout the season, 17 large hand-painted Christmas cards will be on exhibit at various spots around town, displaying Christmas-related themes.
Chamber of Commerce Manager Sherri Pagliari said the extended calendar is a result of some aggressive community efforts.
“We did it through individual people,” she said. “We didn’t really attend meetings to sit down. We started asking people to call us.”
Gail Gregory, a board member at the East Linn Museum, said a lot of the additional events are due to a collaboration with the Sweet Home Beautification Committee. She said the museum decided to forego its bazaar this year and was looking for an alternative. It came up with a Christmas in the Parlor theme, and developed an old-fashioned parlor display in the museum that will be open for viewing on weekends.
Gregory, a retired high school art teacher, helped create the “postcards,” which are painted on 4- by 8-foot sheets of plywood and will be displayed on the museum grounds, at the Chamber of Commerce and “a couple of other places.” The “postcards” will be lit. Themes include children making snow angels, Santa with a good-children and bad-children list, and a cow whose spots depict Santa and his reindeer.
“This is kind of a drawing together of community spirit,” Gregory said. “I think it’s really neat.”
Here is the holiday line-up in more detail:
Weekend of Nov. 30-Dec. 1
Christmas Lighting Events – 5 p.m. at East Linn Museum and the Chamber of Commerce.
Switch on your Christmas lights and see lights illuminated at Clover Park, the East Linn Museum and at the Chamber of Commerce building with a Community Christmas Tree in its yard.
Mayor Craig Fentiman will officially open the Christmas season and the Sweet Home High School Jazz Band and the Sweet Home Singing Christmas Tree will present live music at the chamber building.
Rocking Around the Christmas Tree Downtown Shopping – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, followed by live music, food and contest results at the Veterans Club in the evening.
Some 24 businesses along Main and Long streets, from the Pleasant Valley Road intersection to Foster, will participate. Shoppers will be issued a passport at Trash to Treasure, 1023 Main St., which they can get punched at each of the participating businesses after they spot the decorated 45 RPM record on display in each business. Those who purchase merchandise will receive a red ticket that may be entered into a drawing for $240 in cash. They can also vote for their favorite window display, holiday lights and best Christmas tree.
Passports and red tickets can be redeemed at the Sweet Home VFW, 580 Main St., at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
A Best Christmas Hat contest will be held, along with food, drinks and a dance – plus drawings for prizes and cash.
For more information, contact Nancy Patton at (541) 409-4276 or Christy Keeney at (541) 405-1892.
Sweet Home Alumni Foundation’s Ninth Annual Decorated Trees for Scholarship Auction – 6 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, in the Sweet Home High School cafe-teria.
Cost to attend is $15 and includes holiday hors d’oeuvres and punch.
A silent auction from 6 to 7:30 p.m. will feature wreaths and centerpieces, baked goods, hand crafted items and theme baskets.
The live auction will start at 7:30 p.m. where the trees will go to the highest bidders. All proceeds from the tree auction go to support college scholarships for Sweet Home High School graduating seniors.
Trees will be on display Saturday, Dec. 3 from; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Fire Department’s Sharing Tree will be available as well.
For more information or to donate to the silent auction, call (541) 401-3148.
Elite Performance Bazaar – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 933B Main St.
East Linn Museum Events – Holiday music will be performed most event nights and hot beverages will be served.
Photos with the Christmas Bear will be taken between 4 and 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30 and Dec. 7. Cost is $2 each.
Old-Fashioned Christmas Parlor Photos will be taken between 2 and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 1 and 2.
Spirit of Christmas – Local residents are encouraged to drop off a new gift for a child (0-17) to benefit local sharing trees and/or pick up a gift tag to help a local needy youngster have a merry Christmas. Gifts may be dropped off at the East Linn Museum, to be be distributed to the Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District’s Sharing Tree (for younger children) and the Sweet Home Police Department’s Five-Point STAR Christmas Tree (for older children). Gifts may also be dropped off directly at those agencies. Contact SHFAD at (541) 367-5882 or SHPD at (541) 367-5181 for additional drop-off times or deadlines, or to pick up a gift tag directly.
Weekend of Dec. 7-9
Holiday Bazaars – The traditional holiday craft bazaars, bake sales and boutiques will be held Friday, Dec. 7, and Saturday, Dec. 8, by the Friends of the Library at the Sweet Home Library (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.), 1101 13th Ave.; the Sweet Home Genealogical Society’s annual bazaar at the Genealogical Library (9 a.m. to 4 p.m .), 1223 Kalmia St.; and at the Evangelical Church in the fellowship hall at 1347 Long St. (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
The Veterans Club will hold a holiday bazaar from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at 580 Main St.
Sweet Home Singing Christmas Tree Performances – 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7 and Saturday Dec. 8, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 in the Sweet Home High School Auditorium – 1641 Long St.
This year’s program, entitled “Star Led – Wonder Bound” will be under the direction of new leader Don Bacher. Admission is free, though donations are accepted and appreciated.
An old-fashioned Christmas choral and holiday light show, The Singing Christmas Tree is full of inspiration and fun. Santa will be there to visit with kids during the intermission and raffles will be held featuring a homemade quilt and a fully decorated Christmas tree, along with a variety of things donated by tree members and members of the community.
For more information, contact Sherry at (541) 367-4824 or by e-mail at [email protected], or Sue at (541) 367-4639.
Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade Downtown Mile and Stroll – 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, starting and finishing at Sweet Home High School.
Held just before the Christmas Parade, this event is an effort to help get you warmed up for the big show and raise some needed funds for the high school track and field and cross-country programs. You’ll finish right on the parade route, so you won’t have to run or walk much farther than a mile.
For ambitious runners, though, there is an incentive. Two “elves” – one male and one female – will run the race. Those who can finish ahead of them will receive special prizes. Cost is $12 per adult (over 12) and $7 per child. Save $2 by registering at the Chamber of Commerce, 1575 Main St. before 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7.
Christmas Parade – 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8. This year’s theme is “Home for Christmas.”
The parade starts at the Sweet Home High School Football Field on 22nd Avenue and runs west on Long Street to 10th Avenue.
Wells Fargo Bank and the chamber will team up to provide hot chocolate in the parking lot directly behind the Rio Theater from 10 a.m. to after the parade is taken down.
Entry applications for the parade are still being accepted and are available at the Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce at 1575 Main St. or call (541) 367-6186. Entry fee is $20 and 25 percent of that fee will be donated to the Fire Department’s Sharing Tree Program.
Old-Fashioned Christmas Party Photos – East Linn Museum’s old-fashioned parlor is available as a backdrop for your holiday photos, taken by local photographer Don Gonzalez. Hours are 2 to 4 p.m. and cost is variable, beginning at $12.
Weekend of Dec. 14-15
Live Nativity and Carriage Rides – 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, and Saturday, Dec. 15, at East Linn Museum. Admission is free, though donations are accepted and appreciated.
Saturday, Dec. 22
Visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus – 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, at East Linn Museum. Admission is free, though donations are accepted and appreciated.