Hometown Holidays in Historic Downtown Chelsea

What better place to kick off the holiday season than in the quaint and historic village of Chelsea with their annual 3-day Hometown Holiday, Friday-Saturday-Sunday, December 3rd through the 5th, 2010.

Friday, December 3rd

It all begins with a Tree Lighting Ceremony at Pierce Park on Friday, December 3rd from 6 to 6:30 PM.

Carolers will fill the streets of Downtown Chelsea to bring in the holiday spirit as Santa arrives in the American Legion Voiture Train right on Main Street. You’ll recognize the route by the luminaries displayed all along Main Street.

Rounding out Friday festivities will be Visits with Santa at Santa’s Workshop at the Chelsea Depot, Story Telling in the American Legion Voiture Train, a Live Nativity Scene (at the former Palmer Ford ~ please bring a Toy for Tots gift), Cookie Decorating (from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Chelsea Teddy Bear Company and Common Chords Bell Choir will perform at the Chelsea District Library from 7 to 8 PM.

The Youth Dance Theatre of Michigan will perform the Nutcracker Ballet in the Chelsea High School Auditorium from 7 to 8 PM.

Saturday, December 4th

Begin your day with Breakfast with Santa at the Comfort Inn & Village Conference Center from 8:30 to 10:30 AM.

Get your wreaths, swags, roping and other special holiday greens from Boy Scout Troop 425 from 9 AM to 1 PM at the Chelsea State Bank.

Experience a re-creation of the holiday’s traditions at the Waterloo Farm and Dewey School Museum from 10 AM to 4 PM. The location is west of Chelsea, but it's a trip well worth taking. Festivities include tours of the Farmhouse and Dewey School Museum adorned in period decorations, hand-crafted greens, homemade baked goods, refreshments, live music and gift items available for purchase.

Gingerbread House Workshop, 1 to 3:30 PM ~ Build your own gingerbread house from scratch at the First United Methodist Church. All the fixings to assemble and decorate a beautiful gingerbread house will be provided, but hurry and register – there are only 75 spaces available!

Speaking of gingerbread houses, gather up all your talent and collaboration and build and decorate your gingerbread house before December 3rd so that it can be droped off at the Chamber of Commerce and displayed at one of the many Chelsea businesses! Click here to download the Gingerbread House Show Entry Form 2010. Need a recipe? Here you go!

Experience the awe of the Chelsea Light Parade on Main Street beginning at 6 PM. To benefit Faith-In-Action, bring your donation of a non-perishable item which will be picked up along the parade route. AND, watch closely and you’ll see Santa!

The Youth Dance Theatre of Michigan will perform the Nutcracker Ballet in the Chelsea High School Auditorium. A "Sugar Plum Tea" will be held at 12:30 PM prior to the 2 PM performance. You can catch a second performance at 7 PM.

Luminaries will again be displayed all along Main Street leading into Downtown!

The Chelsea Teddy Bear Company is the spot for the Light Parade Party and Community Sing from 7 to 9 PM. There will be a Community Sing ~ “Counterpoint,” and the Great Bear Cub Run.

There will be merchant events, live holiday music, refreshments, and special sales all weekend. Please click here for a list of shops.

Sunday, December 5th

Experience a re-creation of the holiday’s traditions at the Waterloo Farm and Dewey School Museum from 10 AM to 4 PM. Festivities include tours of the Farmhouse and Dewey School Museum adorned in period decorations, Hand-crafted greens, homemade baked goods, refreshments, live music and gift items available for purchase. For a map of the location, click here.

The Youth Dance Theatre of Michigan will provide a “Sugar Plum Tea” will be held at 12:30 PM prior to the 2 PM performance of the Nutcracker Ballet at the Chelsea High School Auditorium.

Music, music and more music ~ a Holiday Concert with the Chelsea Chamber Players at 3 PM and 7 PM at the Chelsea Depot. . . followed by a Holiday Festival of Lessons and Carols presented by the Chelsea area churches at 6:30 PM at the Chelsea Retirement Community Chapel.

For a complete list of weekend festivities, click here.

In CHELSEA:

The Chelsea businesses are hosting their 5th annual “Wine, Women and Shopping” on Saturday, November 13th.

If you’ve never been, it’s a whole lot of fun and a great way to spend a “girl’s day out,” socialize and shop.

Participating stores throughout Chelsea will be open from 10 AM to 6 PM and offer treats, door prizes, activities and, of course SHOPPING!

Special perks include:

•Give aways of all sorts

•Free tastings of things like . . . Zingerman's!

•Samplings of Country Home Creatin foods

•Trunk shows of Michigan made apparrel

•Troll beads event

•Free drawings for $50 gift certificates

•Free mini facial massages

•Bargains throughout the day

•AND, of course, WINE!

It's a fantastically fun day for women to enjoy some stress-free shopping in a quaint strolling location -- much more enjoyable than the hustle and bustle of the mall.

LOOK FOR THE RED and WHITE BALOONS!

In SALINE ~

Saline is hosting its 22rd annual juried Craft Show on Saturday, November 13th, at Saline Middle School, 7190 N. Maple Road.

Rated as one of the top 10 craft shows in Michigan, it will run from 8 AM to 3:30 PM. Crafters come from 14 states and 155 Michigan cities and you will find many hand-crafted items, including decorative painting, stoneware, rugs, birdhouses, holiday decorating ideas, ceramics, calligraphy, clothing, pottery, stained glass, leather, quilting, photography,garden items, folk art . . .

This fabulous show started in November, 1987 with 66 craft booths and 900 shoppers. It has brown to over 250 craft booths and 10,000 shoppers.

Funds raised support numerous Saline High School teams and clubs as well as a variety of community-based youth programs. Their mission is to provide a quality, juried craft show that will benefit both customers and the school community.

So if you're looking for that unique gift item, or just to beautify your own home, come and get your craft fix!