This home in Warsaw bears some decorations which make it resemble a gingerbread house. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

Staff Report

WARSAW — Christmas events will occur this upcoming weekend in Mentone, Pierceton, Winona Lake and more.

People may view them and a list of other area Christmas events below.

To submit an item for a future list of Christmas events, email [email protected].

Akron

• The Akron Chamber of Commerce, Town of Akron and local churches present Illuminate on Saturday, Dec. 2. It’s from 5-6 p.m. at the Akron Town Square. An LED tree will be lit, and there will be hot chocolate, caroling and a visit from The Grinch.

Etna Green

• Santa will visit with kids at Heritage Park from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16.

Mentone

• Mentone’s Christmas activities are set for Saturday, Dec. 2. The Bell Aircraft Museum will have its annual craft show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day at the Mentone fire station, 201 W. Main St. More than 29 people will be selling their crafts. There will be 18-inch doll clothes, lathe-turned items, paintings and hand-carved wood items by local artist Mike Yazel, Psi Iota Xi cheese balls, crocheted and knitted items, jewelry, candles, T-shirts, cards, dog coats, wooden first responder plaques, placemats, dip mixes, magnets, garden flags and much more. Lunch will also be available starting at 11 a.m. The menu consists of cheesy potato soup, hot dogs, coney dogs, sloppy Joes, chips, pumpkin spice bars, banana bread bars and drinks. Also happening at the fire station, the Mentone Chamber of Commerce will be hosting Santa starting at 10 a.m. and going for a few hours. He will have treats for all the kids. Cookies and cider will be served. Local groups and individuals will have decorated Christmas trees on display. People may vote for their favorite decorated tree and bid on items in the silent auction. Some of the trees will also be available to bid on in a silent auction. All proceeds from the auctions will go to feeding Mentone families in need.
• Mentone’s Christmas decorating contest is returning for 2023. People are welcome to enter their homes with lights and other decorations in the contest sponsored by King Memorial Home of Mentone. People are asked to have more than one strand of Christmas lights on their homes to enter. Homes will be photographed on Saturday, Dec. 2, starting at 6 p.m., so people should have their homes decorated by then. Prizes are $200 for first place, $100 for second place and $50 for third place. To learn more about how to enter and the rounds of voting, reach out to or check out the Mentone News and Information Facebook page.

Pierceton

• Pierceton’s Christmas parade lineup starts at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at Pierceton Elementary School. The parade begins at 6 p.m. and will head to Brower Park on First Street. That will be followed by the lighting of the town’s Christmas decorations and hot cocoa and cookies at the park. People may then head to Harvest Community Church, 512 S. Seventh St., to visit with and get pictures with Santa and see a live Nativity scene.

Rochester

• Rochester Downtown Partnership’s Holiday Stroll is 6-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1. It includes carolers, ice carving demonstrations, reindeer and an appearance from Santa.

Silver Lake

• Santa Claus will be at the old fire station at 104 N. Jefferson St., Silver Lake, on Wednesday, Dec. 20. There will be refreshments and kids may visit with him then. He will travel around on a firetruck starting at 6 p.m., arriving at the station around 7 p.m.

Warsaw

• Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department’s Light Up the Night at Central Park is 6-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1. People may see the first lighting of the park display and kids will receive glow necklaces and goodie bags while supplies last.
• Main Street Warsaw’s Christmas event on Friday, Dec. 1, in conjunction with Light Up the Night runs from 5-8 p.m. The band Pick Slide will perform, and there will be food trucks, the lighting of a Christmas tree and visits with Santa at his house.
• Main Street Warsaw’s Twinkle Light Parade starts at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 15, with country gospel singer Susie McEntire and her husband Mark Eaton and Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer and his family as the grand marshals. MSW’s event for Third Friday runs from 5-8 p.m., including visits with Santa, hot chocolate, carolers, carriage rides and a Christmas market.
• “A Country Christmas With Susie McEntire” returns to Lakeview Middle School, 848 E. Smith St., on Saturday, Dec. 16. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the concert starting at 7 p.m. The concert once again has free admission, with people asked to bring new, unwrapped toys to donate to Toys for Tots. Toys will be donated this year in memory of local radio personality Chris Cage’s son Christian, who passed away earlier this year.

Winona Lake

• Winona Lake Parks and Recreation Department’s Letters From Santa has returned for 2023. People may find forms at www.winonalake.net/home/news/letters-santa-2 for the letters and to include some background information on their kids to make the return letters more personalized. Forms are also available outside of Winona Lake Town Hall or the parks’ department office. The forms should be returned to the North Pole mailbox outside Winona Lake Town Hall. If people cannot print off or pick up the special forms, they should include the personalized information and letters themselves. Letters and forms may also be mailed to Santa Claus C/O Town of Winona Lake, Winona Lake Limitless Park, 1590 Park Ave., P.O. Box 338, Winona Lake, IN 46590. People should not forget to include return address info. Letters and personal information must be received by 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4, to get a response back. The Letters From Santa program is free.
• The Winona Lake Parks and Recreation Department has Kringlefest from 1-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Winona Heritage Room, 901 Park Ave. It includes a holiday shop where kids may buy $3 gifts for loved ones, face painting, train rides, reindeer to visit with, crafts, a photo booth, Santa and more. A sensory-friendly Santa experience is noon-12:30 p.m.
• The public is invited to participate in a service of Christmas carol singing, to be held in the chapel of Grace Retirement Village in Winona Lake at 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3. Accompanying the carols will be organist Bill Schaffer and pianist Richard Dick. Carols will be led by Howard Mayes and Terry White. Special program elements, in addition to the carols, will be several numbers by the Grace Village vocal choir, led by Rose Marie Henning, a cornet solo by Mayes, an organ solo by Schaffer, and an arrangement of “Ring the Bells” played by Margaret Mundy on the musical cowbells. Grace Retirement Village is located off Wooster Road at 337 Grace Village Drive.
• This year’s Christmas offering for Winona Lake’s Christmas in the Village is entitled “Voices, Brass and Bells” and will feature dozens of local singers, instrumentalists and special guests Tim Zimmerman and The King’s Brass. Three identical performances will be available in the Winona Heritage Room, 901 Park Ave., at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, and at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10. Tickets may be purchased at www.classicartsprograms.com. Adults are $15, and senior adults and students are $12 each. Children 5 and under are free. For more information, contact Classic Arts Programs President Lori Widman at [email protected] or (574) 527-1104.