Event features cookie walk, visit from Santa
By Angie Landsverk
A cookie walk, craft projects, visit from Santa Claus and holiday sing-along will be part of the Waupaca Yuletide Trail.
The first-time event will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, in downtown Waupaca.
Organizations and businesses connected to the Waupaca Area Arts and Culture Network helped plan the event.
“It really is a community event,” said Tracy Behrendt, director of the Waupaca Historical Society.
Activities will begin at the Holly History and Genealogy Center with a holiday story time and craft projects from 10 a.m. to noon.
The center will also be among the 15 locations participating in the cookie walk.
The limited edition cookie tin went on sale Nov. 29 at the center, Community First Credit Union, Northern Home and Waupaca Area Chamber of Commerce.
The cost of the tin is $15.
It is a fundraiser for the historical society and features a historic photo of downtown Waupaca, taken from the vantage point of Rasmussen Park.
“Every year we will have a different photo,” Behrendt said.
A total of 160 cookie tins will be available.
“When they’re out, they’re out,” said Bill Clarke, general manager of Danes Hall of Waupaca.
Those who buy a tin will visit the 15 different places and receive homemade cookies at each one.
The cookie recipes will be available on the Waupaca Yuletide Trail event page, Behrendt said.
Downtown activities
She said some downtown businesses will have other things going on as well.
A Touch of Glass on North Main Street will have a free ornament project for children at various times throughout that afternoon.
Appointments will be required. Those interested are to contact the shop.
“There will be a number of shopping and dining specials throughout the day,” Clarke said.
He said there may also be a pop-up gift shop.
A town crier will walk up and down Main Street, and two different caroling groups will sing.
The Waupaca Fine Arts Festival will sponsor one of them.
Marci Reynolds, president of the Waupaca Community Arts Board, will organize a community caroling group.
From noon to 4 p.m., there will be activities for families at Danes Hall.
“When I got hired at Danes Hall, one of the first things they said was, ‘We’re doing a Christmas event for children in December,’” Clarke said.
The Christmas party for children will begin there at noon.
Children will be able to make Christmas ornaments and also Christmas cards for veterans and others living in nursing homes.
Girl Scout members will assist with those projects.
Rotary exchange students will handle the hot cocoa station.
Santa Claus will be at Danes Hall from 1-3 p.m.
People will be able to take pictures of their children as they visit with him.
A holiday carol sing-along will take place in the ballroom at 3 p.m., with songbooks available for participants.
Clarke said all of Danes Hall will be used for the event, with it all free and geared toward children.
Waupaca’s downtown is already decorated for the holiday, with lights and also a tree on the bandstand.
Chain Exploration Center students decorated the tree.