photocredit: wiltshirelife.com
BY: RACHEL SMITH
*NOTE: Due to weather, Christmas by the Lake will be held December 8th & 9th.*
Christmas is coming! Christmas is coming! Shout it from the rooftops. As the snow begins to lightly fall from the ominous, gray clouds above, the streets of Clear Lake will dawn a festive, joyous décor and the….
Wait, hold up here. It’s still October, right?
RIGHT! I mean, we haven’t even had Halloween yet!
However, it’s time to get those calendars marked for our annual Christmas by the Lake celebration! The award-winning event will be held on December 1st, kicking off a season filled with Christmas Spirit for all Clear Lakers, and any other visitors, to enjoy.
As usual, One Vision will begin the weekend of fun with their Festival of Trees, a fundraiser to help provide services to individuals supported by One Vision. Last year, they broke their Festival record with over $50,000 raised from the event. If you’d like to decorate a tree, contact Jennifer Pinske at 641-355-1356.
Saturday and Sunday, the churches, businesses and the Chamber will host a wide variety of activities for your Holiday enjoyment. The full schedule of events is below:
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1st:
8:30AM – Cookie Walk/Coffee/Cinnamon Rolls
United Methodist Church
9:00AM – 4:00PM Holiday Bazaar
Senior Citizens Center
10:30AM & 11:30AM – Storytime & Craft
CL Public Library (ages 3-6)
11:00AM-4:00PM – Indoor Nativity Scene Displays
CL Regular Baptist Church – Free Coffee, Cider, Punch & Cookies
11:00AM – 1:30PM – Soup & Sandwich Lunch w/ Pie
United Methodist Church
11:00AM – Crowing of Prince & Princess
Clear Lake Bank & Trust
11:00AM – Matinee at Lake Theatre: Smallfoot (PG)
(Free admission WITH donations to local food bank)
12:00PM – 4:00PM – Petting Zoo @ City Park
(Sponsored by Fareway)
Pony Rides @ City Park
(Sponsored by CL Evening Lions)
1:00PM – 4:00PM – Free S’Mores & Christmas Karaoke
400 Block of Main (Sponsored by Shelter Insurance)
1:00PM – 4:00PM & 6:00 – 7:00PM – Visit with Santa @ City Park
1:00PM – 4:00PM – Free Main Street Trolley Rides
Professor Von Air Extraordinaire – High Quality Balloon Entertainment
Clear Lake Arts Center
1:30PM – 4:00PM – Santa’s Workshop Festival
CL Arts Center
2:00PM – 4:00PM – Horse Drawn Sleigh / Carriage Rides
Boarding at Wilcox Furniture & Ge-Jo’s
(Sponsored by FSB & Dean Snyder Construction)
2:00PM – 5:00PM – Strolling Dicken’s Characters
(Sponsored by Globe Gazette)
5:00 – Lighted Christmas by the Lake Parade
Spectacular Fireworks Finale
Off Seawall following Parade
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2nd:
11:00AM – Matinee at Lake Theatre: Smallfoot (PG)
(Free admission WITH donations to local Food Bank)
12:30PM – Polar Bear Dip
City Beach
1:00PM – 4:00PM – Visit with Santa @ City Park
1:00PM – Treasure Hunt – Lakeview Room
(Sponsored by the Other Place)
2:00PM – Messiah Sing with a concert by NordKor Children’s Choir
United Methodist Church
Our Christmas by the Lake celebration is proudly sponsored by McKesson, Clear Lake Bank & Trust, Kingland, and the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this event such a huge success!
Will we see you there? Be sure to mark yourself as ‘going’ on our Facebook Event.
Even in the cold, it’ll be a beautiful day to be at the Lake!