You better not shout or cry with Santa Claus coming to town, with all kinds of treats and activities to liven up the holiday season.

The elves from the Rotary Club of Gananoque will be hosting Santa and all of his guests at Town Hall Park and Gananoque Public Library from 1-4 p.m. on December 11. 4line Wall Mounted Clothesline

What started out as a simple idea of having Santa come to talk to the children while an elf handed out warm drinks has grown into a busy afternoon chock full of things to do. The event starts at 1 p.m. with Santa arriving at the park on a fire truck. He will be officially greeted by the town crier, and the fun will begin.

“This is an exciting new event from Rotary,” said Emily Bell, a local Rotarian and one of the event organizers. “Our committee was so enthusiastic that we have had to scale down a bit to leave something for next year. Each child who attends will have an opportunity to sit on Santa’s lap and receive a homemade cookie bag followed by a chance for a picture with Santa Claus. From there they can go over to the library to write a Letter to Santa and mail it in the Santa box then enjoy lots of fun play activities at the library. The Rotary Interact students from Gananoque Secondary will be selling baked goods, with all profits going to the Red Cross.”

While the event is mainly aimed at families with young children, everyone is invited to come out and enjoy this free activity.

“At the Town Park, a Winter Nature Scavenger Hunt will be taking place, as well as a family sing-along and Candy Cane Guess along with free hot chocolate, hot dogs, and popcorn. For the adults huge, warm, homemade cinnamon buns with or without icing for $4 each. This is going to be a fun day for the young and the old alike.”

While there is no planned instrumental accompaniment due to the effect of cold weather on guitars and the like, a carol sing is planned for 2 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to participate and join in on all the old favourites from Silent Night to Frosty the Snowman – even Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is expected to be on the agenda.

“We will also be hosting a ‘Help Line’ filled with free hats, mittens, and scarves for people to take with them,” said Bell.

Also at this time, Rotary is asking the community to reach out and help them fill out the helpline. They are looking for new or gently used warm winter accessories to share with those who need them. The items will be placed in small plastic bags and hung on a seasonal winter clothesline. These will be available for the taking, with leftover items being donated to local schools.

“Santa is expecting us all, so bring the whole family, all of your friends – come out and have a good time.”

To donate to the Help Line, drop items at Bickerton Brokers, 170 King Street East in Gananoque, or contact Sharon at 613-888-3430.

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