Main Street Christmas
Santa Claus is coming to Schomberg Saturday
By Bill Rea

Like the song goes, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and so are a lot of other people.

Schomberg is going to be a very busy place Saturday as Main Street Christmas goes ahead, starting at 4 p.m. with the annual Santa Claus Parade. It will end at 8 p.m. with the Spectacular Parade of Lights.

This annual festival is being staged by the Nobleton Schomberg District Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber Director Susanne Prince, organizer of the event, said there are a couple of new features in this year's edition, to go with the traditional tastes of festive reveling.

They will include the first contestant elimination in the Schomberg idol contest.

As well, DeRuiters' Mill will be open, with kids doing Christmas crafts, assisted by staff and volunteers from King Township Museum.

That mill will also be the location of three demonstrations in how Victorians went about dressing themselves, at 5, 6 and 7 p.m.

There will be plenty of great entertainers performing on and along the street, including Tottenham musician Dave Pooley, Paul Benkhe, Smudge Fundaes, the choir from Springdale Christian Reformed Church, Alliston Golden Bells and juggler Ben Burland. And there will be more talent, provided by local performers, inside Emmanuel Presbyterian Church.

Stories of the season will be read to young folks outside Margaret Black's law office by various people from around the community, and Santa Claus, when he's not riding in parades, will be spending time outside Dr. Dillane's meeting all his young friends. Children will be able to get their pictures taken with Santa.

There will also be art displays, a town crier and carolers strolling the street.

And there will be plenty to eat and drink, courtesy of such local groups as the Lions club, Dufferin Marsh Committee, Schomberg Agricultural Society, Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, the Co-op Nursery School, Schomberg United Church Sunday school, Schomberg Assembly of Christians, and St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church.

The Agricultural Society will be running hay rides all evening as well.

There will also be draws and contests. The Lions will be holding a number of their cash draws, including their grand prize of $5,000. The Chamber will be announcing the winners in its Know Your Village contest.

Free parking will be available at the Brownsville Junction parking lot on Highway 27, with a shuttle bus transporting people to Main Street. Prince said revelers are asked to park at the southern end of the lot, and get on the bus around the LCBO store.

In terms of weather, Prince said they would like to see "a little snow" Saturday, and from the longrange forecasts she had seen, she was hopeful that's what they will get. "light dusting of pure white powdery stuff on a pristine Main Street."