VERGENNES — The Little City has a great tradition to kick off the holiday season; it’s the Vergennes Holiday Stroll.
Join the Vergennes Partnership, the Bixby Memorial Library and the good people of Vergennes this Saturday, Dec. 1, for a full day of holiday festivities at various locations around the Little City. Meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, and enjoy musical performances, craft-making, a craft fair, sweets and treats, story time and much more.
Santa starts a busy day at the Vergennes Union High School cafeteria at a pancake breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Admission is $7 adults; $5 children under 12 years old; all proceeds benefit the VUHS music program.
After breakfast, see what’s on offer at the 15th annual Vergennes Union Elementary School Winter Holiday Craft Fair. The craft fair has been moved this year to the high school, but it is still being staged by VUES. The fair runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The price of admission is $5 for kids. This is a well-organized craft fair with lots of great stuff.
Bixby Memorial Library will host a holiday open house from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., which will include a silent auction of holiday baskets donated by local businesses and library patrons.
At the library, Santa will read Clement Moore’s classic poem “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” at around 10:30 a.m. Then Vermont singer/songwriter Jon Gailmor will entertain the jolly makers at the library with holiday favorites around 11 a.m. Gailmor travels down from his Northeast Kingdom home to spend this special Saturday morning with the Vergennes community. Come and sing along and lift your spirit.
After some holiday refreshments, the wonderful Addison County women’s barbershop chorus Maiden Vermont will serenade Holiday Strollers at the Bixby from 1-1:30 p.m. Bidding on the goody-filled baskets closes at 1:45, with winners announced at 2 p.m.
After Santa leaves the Bixby he will be going to the North Pole! In this case, it is a replica North Pole at a the Vergennes Opera House from 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Kids can get their pictures taken with Santa and a creative local artist will be providing a holiday craft for children to do while waiting. There will be a “Letters to Santa” table. The North Pole Mailbox will be there so kids can get their letters to Santa the official way.
Night falls early in December and people in Vergennes will gather to mark the coming of the darkness with celebrations in City Park from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. There will be fire pits, s’mores, caroling and more Santa Claus with his “Light Up the Night Reindeer.”
The dazzling SD Ireland Holiday cement truck, which will be bedecked with hundreds and hundreds of Christmas lights, ends the evening with a breathtaking display.
Schedule for Holiday Stroll 2018
8 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Breakfast with Santa – VUHS – Breakfast, elf band & chorus, crafts for the kids, and visit with Santa! $5-kids
 
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Bixby Library Festivities – Santa reads, Jon Gailmor performs, Maiden Vermont serenades!
 
9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Holiday Craft Fair – VUHS – Crafts, Jewelry, Bake Sale & more, supporting the ANW and Vergennes Elementary after school program
 
1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
North Pole at the Opera House – Pictures with Santa, stories with Mrs. Claus, letters to Santa, crafts & more
 
3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Activities on the Green – Light Up the Night “Reindeer,” photo booth, Santa, song, s’mores, SD Ireland truck and lighting of city green