LAC LA BICHE - A Magical Christmas in the hamlet of Venice will feature traditional sleigh rides, hot chocolate, delicious baked goods and even an opportunity for kids to get their picture taken with jolly old Saint Nick himself.
This festive extravaganza takes place on Dec. 9 from 1-4 p.m. in the Venice Heritage Park at the community’s church yard.
“There will be sleigh rides during the day that’ll run throughout our eight-acre park,” said Zach Bourassa, secretary of the Venice-Hylo Heritage Historical and Preservation Society, which is hosting the event for the first time. “We will also have a campfire where people can have a wiener roast. Hot chocolate will also be provided. In our hall, we will have a bake sale and photos with Santa.”
Local volunteers will be preparing the baked goods for the event. According to Bourassa, instead of multiple vendors, there will be one large table filled with homemade treats for people to take home.
He said the Christmas event is a fundraiser for the Venice-Hylo Heritage Historical and Preservation Society, a new group with big plans in mind. Some of these plans include establishing an interpretive centre inside the local community hall about the Italian pioneers who settled in the region, beautifying Venice Heritage Park, and renovating the group’s building.
Summer and winter in Venice
This December event is hoped to be as popular as the decades-old tradition of the summertime Venice Picnic. This past June, the Venice Picnic attracted about 1,000 people to the historic church grounds.
“We would like to bring more events to the community such as this Christmas one,” Bourassa stated. “If there is enough interest, we will make it an annual event and host other holiday themed ones, such as one for Easter. Judging by the feedback we have been receiving, there appears to be a lot of interest and we anticipate a good turnout.”
The price of admission for this afternoon of winter festivities is $20 for anyone over 16, then $10 for youth between the ages of 10 and 25, and $5 for children aged four to nine. The admission price includes all the rides and activities, except for the bake sale.
For more information about A Magical Christmas in Venice, contact the Venice-Hylo Heritage Historical and Preservation Society at veniceheritagepark.ca.
