Albion hosts holiday events on Saturday
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Students at Gotta Dance by Miss Amy practice for Saturday’s 5th annual Nicholas Kovaleski Hometown Christmas. Laiken Ricker, center in front, is among the dancers in an advanced jazz class taught by Claire Albertson.
They will be part of three performances on Saturday at Holy Family Parish Lyceum with shows at noon, 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Albion will be busy on Saturday with many holiday events as part of the third annual Hometown Holiday sponsored by the Albion Merchants Association. There are events planned at 16 sites in the downtown and on Main Street.
Some new activities include breakfast with Santa at the Masonic Lodge at 39 Platt St. (Seating is limited. Call 331-7103 for reservations.)
A children’s penny carnival has been moved from the fire hall to Hoag Library. There will be plenty of games and prizes and 25-cent popcorn and hot chocolate. Sheets for a coloring contest will also be at the library and the entries will be displayed at Save-A-Lot.
File photo – Santa will be at Salih Studio from 1 to 3 p.m. for photos for $10.
Mrs. Claus will be visiting Knight’s Pride from 1 to 3 p.m. to enjoy cookies, crafts and cards. Other stores will have face painting (El Gallo), letter writing to Santa (Downtown Browsery), decorating an ornament (Empire Trading), cookie decorating and hot chocolate (Hazy Jade), a scavenger hunt (Main Street Store), and gift wrapping (Uptown Browsery).
In addition, holiday-goers can decorate a pillow (Flying Needle and Thread), create holiday gift tags (Mmim), taste wine (Plaza Liquor) and enter in raffles for a television and other prizes (Xpress Fitness and Tanning).
Pullman Memorial Universalist Church will also be open for an art show and tour.
Bindings Bookstore will also be hosting two book-signings: “The Grocery Man” with Donna Rhodey at 11 a.m. and “Josie and the Singing Butterfly” with Josie Waverly from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
“It’s a community event to bring the community together and bring people to the downtown,” said Carolyn Ricker, president of the Merchants Association.
The event coincides with the Hometown Holiday event at the lyceum. About 50 performers will be in the show, including newcomers Josie Waverly and Rachel Curtin, the Albion Elementary School principal. Waverly for the first time will also sing publicly with Marcy Downey, an Albion native and professional singer.
Proceeds from Hometown Christmas go to a memorial scholarship for Nicholas Kovaleski. He inspired the Albion community with his valiant fight against leukemia. He died at age 15 on June 29, 2011. He was a popular student at Albion, excelling at football, swimming and tennis. He would have graduated last June and likely would be a college freshman.
“The empathy and love the community has for him carries on,” said Amy Sidari, Gotta Dance owner and Hometown organizer. “We are living with purpose as he lived.”
For more information on Hometown Christmas, click here.
