Carolers and a band are part of this year’s Christmas display at Central Park in Warsaw. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

Staff Report

WARSAW — With Thanksgiving now past, the Christmas season has officially started, and there’s plenty of related events in the area.

Below is a list of upcoming activities:

Akron

• The Akron Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the town of Akron, local churches and Akron Elementary School, is having a Christmas tree lighting in Akron’s Town Square on Saturday, Dec. 10. The event starts at 5 p.m., with caroling, hot chocolate and a visit from the Grinch. The lighting will occur at 6 p.m.

Atwood

• Santa Claus will be making a pre-Christmas stop at the Atwood Fire Department from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 10.

Etna Green

• Santa Claus will be at Heritage Park from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17.
• The town will also be holding a Christmas light contest again, with further information to be posted on the Etna Green Community Page.

Mentone

• The Mentone Chamber of Commerce and Bell Aircraft Museum are having a Christmas open house and craft show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at the fire station and around town. The craft show is at the fire station, and there will be food available there. There will be Christmas trees at the station that people can vote on which is the best decorated. Funds from sales of the decorated trees and a silent auction will go to Mary and Jerry’s Helping Hands food pantry. Santa will also be available for visits at the fire station from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Pierceton

• Pierceton’s Christmas decorations committee is planning the annual Christmas parade and tree lighting for Saturday, Dec. 3. Lineup will be at 5:30 p.m. at Pierceton Elementary School, with the parade at 6 p.m. The route will travel down SR 13 from Pine Street to Market Street and end at Brower Park. If people want to join the parade, they can contact Stephanie Campbell at [email protected]. Following the parade, the tree lighting will occur at 6:30 p.m. and there will also be hot chocolate and cookies. Santa will arrive via a firetruck during the parade, and will head up to Harvest Community Church to visit with kids at 7 p.m. The latter is in conjunction with the Pierceton Lions Club.
• That day there will also be the primitives show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the elementary school and the Shop Hop at the town’s shops.

Syracuse

• Chautauqua’s Old-Fashioned Christmas is at Oakwood Resort, 702 E. Lake View Road, from 5:30-8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26. Music near the Oakwood Inn starts at 5:30 p.m. The lighting of the 60-foot tree is at 6:15 p.m., accompanied by the singing of Christmas carols. There will be a live Nativity scene; appearances by Frosty, the Grinch, Rudolph, Buddy the Elf, a toy soldier and the Gingerbread Man; horse-drawn wagon rides; hot chocolate, cookies and s’mores; and more.
• The Wawasee Conservancy Foundation will have a tree lighting at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at Ruddell Pavilion. More information will come out soon.

Warsaw

• Kids may write Letters to Santa through 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2. The cost is $2 per letter. Forms for the letters and payment may be sent to the City of Warsaw Parks Department, Attn: Letters from Santa, 800 N. Park Ave., Suite D., Warsaw, IN 46580. Forms may be found on the Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department’s programs page or at the parks’ office, 800 N. Park Ave., Warsaw.
• Main Street Warsaw is having a Christmas Celebration for its First Friday in downtown Warsaw on Friday, Dec. 2. It’s from 5-8 p.m. and more details will be released soon.
• Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department’s Light Up the Night is 6-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at Central Park, 225 E. Fort Wayne St. It’s the first lighting of the display, which includes more than 250,000 lights. Santa should make an appearance, and children will receive glow necklaces and goodie bags while supplies last.
• Susie McEntire returns to Lakeview Middle School, 848 E. Smith St., with her Christmas concert. It starts at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17. Doors open at 6 p.m. McEntire will again be joined by Linda Davis and Davis’ husband Lang Scott. New to the performance this year will be Jenifer Wrinkle, who’s performed with Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride and Reba McEntire. The concert is free, but attendees are asked to bring new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots.

Winona Lake

• Kids may write Letters to Santa through Monday, Dec. 5. Letters must be received by 4 p.m. on Dec. 5. They should be sent to Santa Claus, C/O Town of Winona Lake, Winona Lake Limitless Park, 1590 Park Ave., P.O. Box 338, Winona Lake, IN 46590. They also can be dropped off at the red North Pole mailbox outside town hall. People should make sure a return address is included on the letters. Forms for the letters may be found outside of town hall, the parks office or by visiting the parks’ department’s page on the town website, with information on the forms also available at Winona Lake Limitless Park’s Facebook page. If people don’t wish to use the forms, they can still write letters using the forms’ information.
• Winona Lake Parks and Recreation Department is having Kringlefest from 1-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Winona Lake Community Center, 1590 Park Ave. There will be photos with Santa, face painting, a petting zoo and crafts. There will also be a shop where kids can pay $3 for gifts for their loved ones.