Albion’s plans busy Hometown Holiday event for Dec. 11

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 December 2021 at 9:01 am

Photo by Tom Rivers: Santa is shown riding in a pickup truck last Dec. 19 down Chamberlain Street in Albion. He will be back this Saturday riding through neighborhoods and delivering presents.

ALBION — The Albion Merchants Association is planning its annual Hometown Holiday event on Saturday, Dec. 11, with activities throughout the day.

There will be a petting zoo from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on at the Main Street municipal parking lot, a chance to decorate the new “Fat Albert” Christmas tree on the Courthouse Square beginning at 11 a.m. and a chance to see Santa driving through Albion neighborhoods beginning at 4 p.m.

Many of the businesses will be hosting activities including face painting, ornament kits, Christmas crafts, letters to Santa, a scavenger hunt, making reindeer dust, Coffee with Cops, free ice cream and a movie and stories with Santa.

The Hometown Holiday will be capped with the Fête de Nöel, a French-inspired gala at Maison Albion from 6 to 10 p.m.

The route for Santa will be starting on East Bank Street, then go to North Main, to Linwood Avenue then Brown Street, Lydun Drive, back to Brown then Caroline and Ingersoll streets, then East Bank, East State, Platt and East Park, then to McKinistry, Chamberlain, Main and West Bank, then King Street, Washington Street, Clinton, West Park, West Academy, West State and end on Main Street. Anyone who wants to donate presents to be given away by Santa can drop off the new toys at Toyz n Kandy, Studio 11 or the Coffee Joint.


Some Albion community members are also planning a “Santa’s Coming Home” parade of cars and trucks on Dec. 17. The public is welcome to decorate a vehicle and join in ride around the community.

Participants should meet at the Arnold Gregory Office Complex at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 17 with the procession of vehicles heading out at 6 p.m. This won’t be a parade with floats, but with decorated cars and trucks.