Moonlight Madness this Friday more or less marks the beginning of Christmas-centric events in the community.
Even if you’re not extraordinarily keen on the shopping side of the holidays, there is plenty going on downtown for free — a parade and Christmas tree lighting, for starters. But what’s most affecting is not necessarily the scheduled events, but the palpable excitement on the streets. The nip in the air, the convivial lineups, the unplanned encounters with friends and neighbours at shop entranceways and on slushy sidewalks.
Consider the many other events coming up: the Community Christmas Dinner Dec. 5 is looking for both helping hands and hearty appetites. The Northern Lights Spiritus Singers will bring harmonic, choral cheer to the Nancy Appleby Theatre Dec. 12-15.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in a highly individualized, even solitary agenda in the lead-up to family and friends descending for the holidays. The instinct is often to avoid the crowds, outsmart the hordes.
But just as surely as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community to make the holidays truly special. Why not be a part of that?
