The Town of Crossfield will be bringing back its popular Winter Wonderland event on Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – the first iteration of the event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Eris Latham, event coordinator for the Town of Crossfield, though the event has been taking place for more than a decade, it was halted for two years due to public health measures implemented during the pandemic.
“We were hoping that we’d be able to do it last year, but with changing restrictions, we were prepared for it and couldn’t go ahead with it,” Latham said. “So, we were canceled for two years.”
She added the pre-registered event is completely full, with 200 children currently registered to get a professional photo with Santa Claus, decorate Christmas cookies, and visit a kids-only Christmas store to pick up some presents for $1 a piece.
“Registration was open for almost a week before we filled to capacity,” Latham said. “It is a maximum of 200 children because it is such a heavy undertaking with the stop-and-shop and the amount of gifts that need to be purchased.”
She added thanks to a very generous donation from a Crossfield resident, the registration fee ($3) has been paid in full for every child registered for this year’s event.
“We had an anonymous resident come forward and pay for all of the registration fees for the kids,” she said. “Just as a kind Christmas gesture. Which we appreciate so very much.
“So, there was no cost to parents this year for registration.”
The event coordinator said the highlight of this year’s event is the chance for the children to visit Santa Claus and give him their Christmas wish list. A local professional photographer will also be on-site to provide families with a free photo with Santa, which is emailed to them a few days after the event.
Afterward, kids are encouraged to go decorate Christmas cookies baked by the Donut Man, a local Crossfield business.
“They’ll each get two Christmas cookies and there’s icing and sprinkles set up for them and they have creative control to decorate their two cookies,” Latham said. “Some of the cookies make it out of the building, most do not,” she added with a laugh.
The third draw to the event is the kids-only stop-and-shop holiday store where they get the opportunity to walk through the makeshift store where approximately 1,200 gifts are on offer.
“Everything is marked at $1 so they can pick up gifts for their mom and dad or sisters and brothers, grandparents,” she said.
She added the gifts will then be gift-wrapped, with kids picking out their own gift bags, packing tissue, and putting on their gift tags.
“There’s going to be lots of little helper elves to help any of the young ones shop, as we do not let the parents in that room,” Latham stated. “But the parents are welcome in the parent’s lounge, which serves coffee beside a little fireplace and Christmas tree.
“There’s a nice little ambiance in the parent’s lounge as well.”
According to Latham, the Winter Wonderland event does wonders to help Crossfieldians start off the Christmas season on the right foot, especially for kids.
“It’s probably the most magical time of the year for them as it is anyway,” Latham said.
“But to get in and actually be able to talk to Santa and visit with him and take part in some Christmas activities, everybody’s always in a jolly mood and it’s just a really fun day for kids and parents.”
