by Garrett Fodor
The sounds of horse hooves and laughter could be heard, while excitement and anticipation could be felt as the Second Annual Santa’s Village took over Heritage Gardens Park on Saturday.
The now annual winter fest was offered once again, bringing with it holiday cheer, a full slate of free entertainment, holiday decor set up inside the park, and a vendors’ market that offered an array of home goods and rare finds.
Opening at 2pm, the nearly 100 booth market ran until 9pm, allowing visitors and shoppers an opportunity to enjoy the festivities throughout the day and also after the Essex Santa Claus Parade that took place down Talbot Street that evening.
This year’s event featured carriage rides through the new Essex Centre Streetscape area, as well as a petting zoo, crafts, and other free activities, paired with shopping activities.
“There’s a lot of Christmas markets, but to us this one is so unique because it is outside and it has that Christmas feel, with lights and music,” Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais said, who is the Council liaison on the newly formed Santa’s Village Committee. “It’s a perfect Southern Ontario winter day. It’s great. Essex is open and the businesses are ready, and so many of them helped to join in on the activities. So, it’s great.”
McGuire-Blais notes the idea first came from Rich Tapping. The duo volunteer together on the Essex Festival Committee. After last year’s Fun Fest was hosted this year, Tapping posted a survey asking residents if they would like to see a holiday-themed event, and the response was overwhelming.
They posted a note on social media for anyone interested to attend a meeting, which was held in the kitchen of McGuire-Blais’s home, with the four other attendees coming together to form the first committee.
The event has expanded from initially expecting 1,000 people last year to anticipating nearly 5,000 people. McGuire-Blais said it’s special how it’s grown, with nearly 100 vendors lined-up throughout the Essex Centre main street area. She and the committee hope to continue to see the event grow and hope to potentially have it span across two-days, with even more free activities.
“We decided to approach the Town last year and now it has become an official town event,” McGuire-Blais said. “To me, it’s special sitting back at 3 pm, just after we opened and looking at the streets be filled with people and just seeing the smiles on everyone’s face. We don’t charge for the event, so everyone from every economic background can enjoy without barriers. They can do crafts, the petting zoo, get their photo with characters, and make holiday memories without an added cost or strain.”
McGuire-Blais thanked the Essex BIA and all of their members for their support, being the original first supporters last year, along with the Town of Essex, all of the vendors and sponsors, as well as the committee members who helped to make the event possible.
She looks forward to continuing to see the event grow. The committee is proud to help make memories for families from within the community this holiday season.