Royal Body Shop serving 2,000 chicken dinners for free in Albion on Saturday

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 December 2024 at 8:51 am

Albion Hometown Holiday includes many events throughout the day, capped by parade at 6 p.m.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Royal Body Shop Outreach Ministries is shown in the kitchen of the Masonic Lodge on Dec. 9, 2023 when the church served 2,000 chicken barbecue dinners for free. Christina Ruffin, left, and John Hollenbeck are in the kitchen putting the chicken and macaroni salad in the take-out containers.

ALBION – A Hometown Holiday event on Saturday includes activities throughout the day in Albion, including a church serving 2,000 chicken barbecue dinners for free beginning at noon at the Masonic Lodge on Platt Street.

This is the third year the Royal Body Shop Outreach Ministries is serving the 2,000 dinners for free to the community.

Many of the businesses, the Village Hall and Hoag Library will be hosting activities for the community.

There will be a parade with lighted floats beginning at 6 p.m. on Route 31, leaving from the CRFS parking lot and then going down Main Street, turning on East State Street and ending at the parking lot by Dubby’s Tailgate on Platt Street.

The parade’s name has been changed from Santa’s Hometown Parade to the Charles W. Howard Hometown Parade. It honors Howard, who ran a Santa School in Albion from 1937 to 1966. He also operated Christmas Park beginning in the mid-1950s. That site attracted about 80,000 people a year.

The Albion Merchants Association is the lead organizer of Hometown Holiday. The schedule includes:

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Letters to Santa at Bloom’s Flower Shop
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Shopping with Misfit Toys at the Downtown Browsery
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Kids craft at Town and Country Quilt Shop
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Kids craft at Village Hall with Oak Orchard Canoe and Kayak
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Coffee and donuts at Village Hall with Albion Police Department
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Crafts, presents and cupcakes at Albion Free Methodist Church
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Cookie decorating at Pretty Sweet Bakery
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Ornament kits at Red Check
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Tea with Mrs. Claus at Hoag Library
12 p.m. until gone – Free chicken dinner from Royal Body Shop Outreach Ministries at Masonic Lodge
12 p.m. to 1 p.m. – Christmas caroling in the downtown
1 to 3 p.m. – Painting Rocks with “Albion Rocks” at Dubby’s Tailgate
2 to 4 p.m. – Concert by Music Makers at Pratt Opera House
3 to 4 p.m. – Fire side with Santa and kids crafts at Hearth & Home
4:30 to 6 p.m. – Hot chocolate and caroling at First Baptist Church
4 to 6 p.m. – Chicken and biscuit dinner by Albion Rotary Club at Presbyterian Church
6 p.m. – Charles W. Howard Parade (with Santa and Mrs. Claus after parade until 8 p.m. at Dubby’s Tailgate)