It’s an annual sign that Christmas is coming when town employees Derek Ruck (on ladder) and Mark Paolera string Christmas lights in downtown Osoyoos. On Monday, they were decorating Town Hall. They were stringing lights in downtown trees last week. The Christmas lighting will set the mood as Osoyoos celebrates its 29th Christmas Lite-Up this Friday and Saturday. Most of the events, including the parade on Friday evening, take place in the downtown. (Richard McGuire photo)
The 29th Christmas Lite-Up will get Osoyoos into the Christmas spirit this Friday and Saturday with all the usual events, including the parade down Main Street.
Last week the parade looked in doubt with only one entry received, but organizers have succeeded in signing up more entries as the event approaches.
“(Mayor) Sue (McKortoff) was at the Boston Pizza open house on Friday and she did a whole bunch of recruiting,” said Nancy Katerenchuk, parade co-ordinator with the Osoyoos Festival Society.
McKortoff is organizer of Christmas Lite-Up.
Katerenchuk said organizers still hope to see more parade entries, which will be accepted up until parade time.
People can register to participate in the parade by calling Katerenchuk at 250-495-4008 or by picking up a form at the Osoyoos Times.
The parade takes place at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Main Street will be closed to traffic from the intersection of highways 3 and 97 to the junction of Highway 3 and Kingfisher Drive between 6:15 and 7 p.m.
The schedule of events is similar to Lite-Up in other recent years with one important location change – the Breakfast with Santa and Photos will be held at Troy’s Grill instead of the usual Osoyoos Baptist Church.
That event, on Saturday morning, sponsored by Osoyoos Child Care Centre, offers a breakfast for $5 served by members of the Osoyoos Coyotes hockey team.
Children under 10 are free with a donation to the Osoyoos Food Bank.
The breakfast starts at 8:30 a.m. and photos with Santa Claus take place from 9 to 11 a.m. The breakfast finishes at 11:30 a.m.
Photos cost $10 and are emailed.
Christmas Lite-Up kicks off with Smitty’s Toys for Tots to Teens at Smitty’s Family Restaurant from 7 to 10 a.m. Friday.
The restaurant provides a free breakfast to those who bring a new, unwrapped children’s toy or a cash donation for the Kiwanis Club’s Share the Christmas Spirit program.
Players with the Osoyoos Coyotes, Soroptimists and other volunteers help out at the busy breakfast, which often sees people lined up to get a table.
Typically Santa Claus drops by to greet the guests along with Mrs. Claus.
Also on Friday, from 5 to 8 p.m., a merchant open house takes place at many businesses.
The Rotary Club of Osoyoos serves hot dogs and hot chocolate in front of Fields Main Street during this time with proceeds going to the Osoyoos Food Bank.
From 6 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, just before the parade, the Osoyoos International Chorus, conducted by Lloyd Fairweather, sings Christmas carols in front of Osoyoos Home Hardware.
In the evening from 6:30 to 10 p.m., the Santa’s Night Out dry grad fundraiser takes place at the Sonora Community Centre.
Besides the Santa’s breakfast at Troy’s on Saturday, the other event that day is the Kiwanis Christmas Craft Fair.
That event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is by a donation to the food bank.
Separately, the Festival of Trees runs from Nov. 25 to Jan. 2 with trees decorated by businesses and organizations at various locations around Osoyoos.
“We just want everybody to come out and have fun,” said Katerenchuk.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
