GALION — City of Galion employees put up the community Christmas tree in the Square this week, signalling the beginning of the holiday season.
This year’s tree was donated by Galion resident Carl Ginter. City Line Department workers took the tree from Ginter’s South Boston Street residence to the Square on Monday morning and placed it in its new home for the holiday season.
The tree-lighting ceremony will be conducted at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4 during the Come Home to Galion celebration in Uptowne Galion. The annual holiday event returns after a year’s hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Come Home to Galion is scheduled from 1 to 6 p.m. on Dec. 4 in Uptowne Galion and features a variety of fun activities for children and adults. Cookie decorating will take place at Cake & Icing, 114 Harding Way West. The Central Hotel will host Letters to Santa and have hot chocolate available.
Horse-drawn carriage and wagon rides from the Galion Public Library to Brownella Cottage will be offered throughout the day. A live Nativity scene will be presented across the street from Brownella Cottage on South Union Street.
Brownella Cottage and the Galion Public Library will each offer an open house and tours throughout the afternoon. The cottage open house is scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. The library open house is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m.
The Come Home to Galion Christmas parade is scheduled to begin at 4:15 p.m. and will be followed by the tree-lighting ceremony. The Santa House will open for the season at 5:30 p.m.
The Reindeer Dash run/jog/walk is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. on Dec. 4 at the Square. Participants are asked to gather at the Square at 2:30 p.m. Registration for the Reindeer Dash costs $20 per person. All participants receive a shirt, antlers, a red nose and jingle bells. For ticket information, go to the Come Home to Galion Facebook page.
Food and entertainment will be presented at the Square throughout the day.
Breakfast with Santa will be offered at 8:30 a.m., 9:45 a.m., and 11 a.m. during the morning of Dec. 4 at the Big Four Depot Pavilion, 127 North Washington Street. Tickets cost $5 each and include the meal and a picture with Santa. For ticket information, go to the Come Home to Galion Facebook page.
Galion Community Theatre will host activities based on the popular holiday family film “The Polar Express” on Dec. 4. The Polar Express Experience will be conducted from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the theatre, featuring, according to organizers, “a variety of fun and festive activities including cookie decorating, crafts, selfies, games, and more. Afterwards, walk right outside the theatre to take in the sights and sounds of the Come Home to Galion parade and tree lighting.”
Admission to the Polar Express Experience costs $10 per child. One adult is permitted per child (no ticket purchase required for accompanying adult). Tickets are limited to 50.
“The Polar Express” film will be shown at 6 p.m. at the theatre. Admission to the film is free for those who attended the Polar Express Experience. For those wishing to watch the film who do not attend the Polar Express Experience, admission to the movie only is $5.
For information about Come Home to Galion events, go to the Come Home to Galion Facebook page.
Crestline Winterfest set for Dec. 11
CRESTLINE — The Crestline Community Development Team (Crestline CDT) will present Crestline Winterfest on Saturday, Dec. 11. Organizers said this year’s edition of Winterfest will feature a few new additions.
The Galion-Crestline Chamber of Commerce will host a Business Expo at The Hub at Village Square from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information about the Business Expo, please contact the Galion-Crestline Chamber of Commerce at 419-468-7737.
Lumberjacks from Lumberjack Chainsaw Art will be set up at the corner of Seltzer and Scott Street from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They are sponsored by the Galion-Crestline Chamber of Commerce and one of their pieces of art will be raffled off at the event. Proceeds from the raffle benefit the Crestline Community Development Team.
From noon to 2 p.m. there will be free kids train rides provided by Romick Railways. The rides will take place along Seltzer Street. The train rides are sponsored by Park National Bank.
Kleerview Farms will have their live reindeer at the Central Park Gazebo from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. The reindeer are sponsored by Schneider-Grompf Funeral Home.
The Tiny Tim Shoppe (located at The Shunk) will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for kids to purchase gifts for their families.
The Santa Parade will begin at 4:30 p.m. at Crestline United Methodist Church.The tree lighting ceremony will follow the parade at 4:45 p.m. at the Gazebo in Village Square.
Jim Bauer, Christmas Elvis, will perform from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Crestline Public Library. The library will show the Charlie Brown Christmas movie at 6:30 p.m.
Students from the Pioneer Performing Arts program will perform throughout the day at the Central Park Gazebo and the Crestline Police and Fire Department will be accepting donations for their toy drive at The Hub.
For information about Crestline Winterfest, go the Crestline Community Development Team’s Facebook page.
