Dave Ogilvie
The merchants, community churches, and several organizations in Emo have been busy over the last couple of weeks putting the final touches on plans for this year’s “Holly Daze” festivities.
And from all indications, this year’s two-day celebration Dec. 3-4 once again will provide district shoppers with some excellent deals and lots of enjoyable activities.
The 2010 “Holly Daze” schedule actually starts tomorrow (Dec. 2) with a “tour of lights” for local seniors.
The free bus tour, provided by Ken Fisher, will leave the Golden Age Manor at 6 p.m., then proceed to the Queen Street Manor to pick up members there before taking a tour of the local Christmas lights.
Activities on Friday and Saturday will appeal to both the young and the young at heart. The skating rink at the tennis courts will be open for everyone (provided the weather co-operates).
Other family activities also are part of this year’s schedule.
Shoppers, meanwhile, are encouraged to visit participating businesses in order to enter their name for a chance to win one of the two $250 Emo Chamber of Commerce gift certificates up for grabs.
There also will be a “Beautiful Baby Contest” at Meyer’s Clothing Store. Drop by the store to vote for your favourite baby, with the money raised once again going to a worthwhile local cause.
The contest will begin during “Holly Daze” and run until Christmas.
The Emo Legion once again will be hosting its annual “Crafts Galore,” which will be open Friday and Saturday.
An excellent lunch of soup-and-sandwiches also will be available for $6.50.
Shoppers are invited to stop by, pick up some hand-made Christmas creations, and stop for lunch with friends.
But the highlight for many people no doubt will be the annual “Holly Daze” Christmas parade on Friday evening.
Participants and their floats will gather at Donald Young School at 5 p.m. Then leaving at 6 p.m. sharp, the parade will move down Roy Street to Queen Street, down Queen Street, and then along Front Street to the Golden Age Manor.
Donations to the food bank will be collected by the Nestor Falls Marine float, with help from several of the local girls’ hockey teams.
The Emo & District Hospital Auxiliary also will be collecting on their float. Please bring a donation of non-perishable food items to the parade.
The Emo rec council will be providing hot chocolate and cookies on Front Street during the parade.
Following the parade, everyone is invited to congregate along the sidewalks of Front Street to enjoy the annual fireworks display, which this year will be provided by the Municipality of Emo and Rainy River Resources.
Friday’s festivities will conclude with a family movie night at Calvary Baptist Church. This year, rather than have a separate program for kids, the church will be showing two shorter family films that everyone will enjoy.
The first is entitled “Martin the Cobbler,” a claymation classic based on Leo Tolstoy’s tale, “Where Love is God is.”
It is a touching story of how an older man finds hope and peace in the cold of winter by learning to think of others besides himself.
The plan is then to end the night with the ever-popular “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” which has appeared annually on TV ever since it first aired back in 1965.
Church members hope you will take time from your busy schedule to bring your family to their annual movie night.
On Saturday, many of the usual “Holly Daze” activities will continue. Stores still will be accepting entries to win one of the two Emo Chamber of Commerce gift certificates, and “Crafts Galore” will be open from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Legion.
As well, children can have their pictures taken with Santa at the Legion from 1-3 p.m. Parents either can pay a sitting fee or make a donation to the Emo food bank.
Saturday afternoon also will feature the “Knox Café” hosted by Knox United Church. The Café, which will be open from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., will be serving a hot beverage and a cinnamon bun for just $3.
Visitors also are invited to peruse the home-made wares of some of the United Church folk and to enter the draw for one of the church’s well-known gift baskets.
In the afternoon, the St. Patrick’s Catholic Women’s League will be hosting its annual Christmas tea in the parish hall from 1-3 p.m.
Admission is $3 at the door.
Organizers are hoping everyone will stop by for some tea, as well as to check out the baking, religious articles, draws, crafts, and much more.
This year’s “Holly Daze” will conclude at 4 p.m. on Saturday with the draw for the Emo Chamber of Commerce gift certificates, which will take place at Cloverleaf.
Don’t miss a moment of the joys of the season at this year’s “Holly Daze.”
