Santa scheduled for multiple county stops: St. John museum to mark fifth year during Saturday Winterfest

St. John

St. John Heritage Museum will celebrate its fifth anniversary during St. John’s Winterfest. The anniversary celebration is to show appreciation for the museum’s donors, and anyone is welcome to attend.

The museum will feature live piano music as well as refreshments which include ice cream from Ferdinand’s Ice Cream Shoppe. St. John’s Heritage Museum debuted during the 2013 Winterfest in St. John.

St. John’s 26th annual Winterfest will be a two-day event, Dec. 1 and 2. Events for Winterfest include music at the museum, a craft fair and the Torchlight parade all happen Saturday, Dec. 1.

Pictures with Santa will be available at Primeland.

A golden egg toss and letters to Santa will be at Funky Junk, and an ugly sweater contest will be at the Two Old Gals Boutique. Saturday night will end in a professional fireworks show.

Sunday, Dec. 2, has fewer events with the museum’s anniversary celebration and the dinner and benefit auction ending the festivities.

The dinner is a local tradition of “a nice meal where friends and family can get together,” said Amanda Webb, events coordinator and wife of Matt Webb, the president of the St. John Community Club.

Tickets to the dinner are $25 per person sold at Webb’s Empire Foods in St. John or by calling Amanda Webb at 509-648-4040.

The dinner will be cooked and served by volunteers.

Auction items will include a WSU themed basket, hand made items such as a turquoise and silver necklace, Afghan and shawl, and two-night stay in the Philippines. Proceeds from the auction will go to improvements for the community building and the St. John fairgrounds.

Colfax

Santa Claus will be on hand for wish-telling several times and places in the next few weeks. On Dec. 1 Santa will be at Ace Hardware in Colfax from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Dec. 6 at The Center at the library from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. and at Columbia Bank Dec. 7, from 4-5:30 p.m.

Santa will depart the library at 5:30 Dec. 6 to take his place of honor in the Winterfest parade which is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. The parade is being organized by the Chamber of Commerce. Grand Marshals for the event will be Director Cary Cammack and the cast of the “Cinderella” musical which concluded its November run at the high school.

Fireworks are scheduled after the parade. Launch site will again be from the east side hill. The fireworks display is sponsored by the Downtown Association, which has received $2,500 in donations for the event. A Spokane fireworks technician will launch the show.

First blast of the fireworks will take place after the last entry in the parade departs Main Street, according to Val Gregory, executive director for the Chamber and the Association.

The library is also offering a chance to win more than $200 in STEM toys in a drawing which will be during the Dec. 19 event at The Center with awards for the tree decorating contest and sale of art among the trees. The toys are displayed on the Pioneer Title Robot Tree.

One change in plans involves the performance date for John Elwood and Sally Burkhart of Elberton. They had originally been booked at the Dec. 6 event, but will now perform at the Dec. 19 event.

Viewing of the decorated trees in The Center will begin Saturday, Dec. 1. The display can accommodate 18 trees and will be open for viewing at The Center during open hours at the library.

Rosalia, Endicott, LaCrosse

Santa Claus isn't only coming to town, he will be jumping all around Whitman County in early December. On Dec. 1, Santa will be in Rosalia with Mrs. Claus at the Budding Rose Gallery from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., in St. John from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Primeland (because only Santa is capable of being in two places at once), and that evening Santa will be entering Endicott on a firetruck that will drop him off at the school multipurpose room for cookies and hot chocolate.

Santa will be in LaCrosse at The Gathering Place on Saturday, Dec. 8, for breakfast from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Dec. 1 will be a busy day.

St. John is having their Winterfest activities, Rosalia is having a Tis the Season Holiday Craft Show and Sale at the Rosalia Community Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the LaCrosse United Methodist Church is doing Crafts for Kids from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. with ice cream afterwards.

Endicott will have fireworks starting at five and turning on their Christmas lights to welcome Santa Claus as he comes into town on Dec. 1. The lights will remain on for the rest of the month.

LaCrosse will also be making Gingerbread people after school from 12 to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 5. and before Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 8 there will be ornament making at the library from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.