If you are in the downtown area of this municipality over the coming days, you will see the area being transformed into a festive wonderland as volunteers work to create a traditional European-style outdoor market as part of the Christmas on the Bay event. Sparkling lights and holiday wreaths will be hung from lamp standards, and downtown business owners unveil their holiday window displays.
All of that festive decorating will be complete in time for Santa Claus himself to stop by for the Kinsmen Club’s annual Santa Claus parade on Saturday, December 6. Parades are always fun events, and I have always enjoyed, as did my sons, that Meaford’s Santa Claus parade happens in the evening, making the holiday lights on the various floats even brighter and more vibrant.
Santa’s arrival can be a magical moment for youngsters. I recall my own children, who, when they were young, would enjoy stopping in at a downtown coffee shop for cups of hot chocolate to enjoy while watching the parade on what always seemed to be a chilly evening. Some years there was snow to add to the festive ambience, while other years the ground was still bare when it was time for the annual parade. When that final float carrying Santa and his sleigh would approach, the excitement in my sons’ eyes would accelerate as they caught their first glimpse of the man in red.
After the parade Santa will visit with the youngsters at Meaford Hall, providing an opportunity for children to say hello to Santa, and for parents to warm up after standing out in the cold for the parade and Santa’s arrival.
The next few weeks will be a busy time for many as the holiday season is fast approaching, and if you aren’t yet in the mood for the annual holiday season chaos, perhaps the downtown decorations will help you along.
While we have had a brief burst of winter weather recently, at the moment Mother Nature isn’t helping us along with creating a festive atmosphere, but that can change quickly at this time of year. Looking at the long-range weather forecast as I write this column on Tuesday morning, there looks to be some snow on the way, but perhaps not enough to match the large amount of snow that blanketed us last year as the festive Christmas on the Bay event was getting underway.
The holiday fun officially gets underway on Thursday, December 4, at 5 p.m., when the tree beside Meaford Hall will be lit, kicking off the holiday season in Meaford. The same day will mark the beginning of this year’s Christmas on the Bay event in Market Square, and it runs until Sunday, December 7.
As Christmas on the Bay is winding down on Sunday, December 7, the municipality will celebrate the 40th anniversary of a Hollywood Christmas movie that was partially filmed in this municipality, with a showing of One Magic Christmas at Meaford Hall.
Many years ago I took my youngest son to a showing of One Magic Christmas at Meaford Hall. He quite enjoyed seeing glimpses of Meaford in that movie, which was much more my era than his. My sons are both grown men now, and they are busy with work and other things. They are unlikely to be able to get to Meaford for next weekend’s festivities, but I know that if they could, they would.
While next week’s events are supported in various ways by the municipality, they are largely driven by volunteers, and those volunteers deserve all the praise that will come their way next week. Whether it is the Kinsmen Club which stages the Santa Claus parade each year, bringing joy to many, to the many volunteers who help to create floats and participate in the parade itself, to the team of volunteers who will transform Market Square into a European-style market with stalls housing artisans and crafters offering their creations for sale. Volunteers are crucial in every community, as they make things happen by giving their time and energy to creating events that bring the community together, and they can never receive enough praise in my opinion.
As festive as our surroundings are beginning to feel, as I have written in previous years, it is important to remember that many in our community are struggling of course, and the holiday season can be anything but joyful and festive for those who are fretting over putting food on the table let alone buying gifts for under the tree.
As we have read and heard in recent weeks, the use of food banks has surged throughout the province, including locally, and many are struggling to survive on a $17.60 per hour minimum wage, while the ‘living wage’ calculated for the Grey-Bruce area suggests that an hourly wage of $24.60 is required, not to thrive, but simply to survive in this modern economy.
The holiday season can bring a clash of emotions for those who are indeed struggling, and during this time of year we must remember that not everyone is basking in the festive holiday spirit.
During next Saturday’s Santa Claus parade, the local Kinettes will be collecting non-perishable goods for our local food bank, and volunteers with the United Way will be collecting warm socks for those in need, so before heading for the parade, perhaps gather some items for the food bank, and stop off to buy some socks to donate to the United Way volunteers; small acts that can have a big impact on some of our neighbours who are struggling just to get by let alone fund holiday season fun.
So the festive holiday season is about to begin. Whatever you celebrate, or if you celebrate nothing at all, be safe, be kind, and remember that alcohol and driving do not mix. The OPP along with municipal police forces throughout the province will be out on the roads for the duration of the holiday season watchful for impaired drivers. If you drink during this festive time, have someone drive you home, or call a taxi – don’t risk the lives of others by driving after drinking.
For Meaford’s full holiday season event details visit meaford.ca/christmasmagic.
