2011 Christmas in Loveland!
Saturday turned out to be a wonderful day for a festival! Loveland celebrated the 2011 Christmas in Loveland as the residents and businesses turned out in full force. There were lots of smiling faces on children and adults alike. Even though it got a little chilly after the sun went down, the bonfire raged to provide a spot to warm up. In fact, there were firepits at the Cafe, Julians and Paxton’s to keep the crowds from getting too cold to enjoy the night. Here are some of the experiences we had.
Choirs
This year, as always the choirs were impressive! They started the afternoon with a very impressive young woman, Emily Ogden, who has a wonderful voice and she had a great set of songs in our opinion. Another great group was the choir from First Missionary Baptist. Their rendition of the 12 days of Christmas was humorous, but showcased their terrific voices. The choirs sang all evening and as we wandered through our little town, we could always hear them serenading us.
Hope Baptist Nativity
This year, as always, the Nativity was a constant draw. It was fun to sit nearby and listen to the families as they approached, exclaiming “hey that angel on top is alive!”. The actors do such a great job each year, considering how cold it is (especially on the rooftop) and the petting area is always a great experience for the kids.
Horse Drawn Wagons
The wagons were only empty once. that’s when they were being driven into position to start their pickups. The sound and experience of the horses clopping and jingling down our streets makes me think back to childhood when things were simpler. There is something special about the horse drawn vehicles that endears the families to line up to be able to get that feeling. The last few years the rides haven’t gone as far since they no longer cross the bridge, but maybe we can generate enough feedback that we can include the museum and art studio again in the future.
Joe Schickel Book Signing
Mr Shickel recently published his book, Face to Face: Conversations with my Father. This was a great opportunity for him to sign the book for eager readers and to talk a bit about the process. Joe provided All Around Loveland with a copy and we look forward to reading it and doing a personal interview with him in the near future.
Buddy the Elf
It’s the tallest elf I’ve ever seen! Yep, Buddy was seen all over town tonight sneeking into shops and restaurants and spreading joy wherever he went. He seemed to hang around the sweet shop quite a bit! Hey Buddy, what’s YOUR favorite color? Our guess is green!
Santa & Scrooge
On the way to the Loveland Canoe & Kayak livery, Santa arrived on the pink firetruck with mean old Scrooge spunging a ride. We hear the kids were throwing at him at Eades Fence, but we also hear the old guy has quite an arm on him still.
Pizazz Facepainting
Each year the elves of Pizazz do a great job painting the faces of the children of Loveland. This year was no different. The children all seem to love the idea and I think the elves enjoy it too!
Loveland Sweets
I can’t imagine why everyone was in and out of this little shop all evening. I guess when you have the best sweet treats in town, you can’t help but draw in the crowds. It’s fun to watch the wonderment of the children as they peer into the candy creations around the store. Ok, the dads peer a lot too!
Paxton’s & The Santa Band!
The Santa Band made an appearance at Paxton’s again this year. A little after 9, the entire brass band piled into the aisles and every crevice they could find to entertain and delight the customers and staff! I think I even saw Sandy dancing in the aisles several times. These are a group of people who love what they do! It’s easy to see why the crowds love them too!
Everyone Having Fun!
The rest of the pictures are just grouped together, but the whole event was such great fun. We love watching the families come down and have fun together. That doesn’t always happen in america these days. Wer glad we have such a great community here in Loveland. We’re glad the sponsors come out every year to make this even happen and we look forward to next year being even better still!
Thank you, All Around Loveland, for the wonderful coverage, particularly the beautiful pictures, of the 2011 Christmas in Loveland. You bring back to life the wonderful opportunity we all had to be part of such a beautiful event that will remain in our hearts for many years to come!