BONNYVILLE – The Festival of Trees brought some holiday magic to the field house at the Centennial Centre with its display of Christmas trees and holiday decorations.
Vendors also filled the venue and attendees got the chance to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus before they packed up to get ready for the Town of Bonnyville’s annual Santa Claus parade.
Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus said they enjoyed their time meeting all the children and families in Bonnyville at the Festival of Trees and encouraged everyone to spread kindness and spend time with family.
“Be kind to each other and be kind to your pets,” said Santa. “So many people are on edge. Being able to show love for each other, it’s really important.”
Mrs. Clause agreed that the world is in need of a lot of kindness and told a story about a little boy who made her heart melt.
“One little boy we had today, came up and when we asked him what he wanted he just said he wanted everybody to be happy for Christmas,” said Mrs. Claus.
Santa also encourages children to play outside and spend quality time with their families.
Santa recalled one little girl who just wanted her dad to be able to come home for Christmas and wishes to remind everyone that Christmas is about being together and making memories.
“You’ve got to be able to connect with the people around you. What are memories made of? When you look back at your fondest memories, they’re not about your phone,” said Santa.
The pair stuck around to join the Town of Bonnyville staff on their float during Bonnyville’s annual Santa Claus Parade Saturday evening.
The community braved the snowy weather and showed up to watch the parade, catching a glimpse of not only Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, but also the infamous Grinch, who joined the parade with a giant red sack of onions to hand out.
The Festival of Trees aims to raise funds for community groups each holiday season. This year, proceeds will be put toward building a mental health seclusion room at the Bonnyville Health Centre.
A variety of prizes were available to be won by those who purchased tickets.
