Westshore Community Band and Colwood Choir will ring in the holiday season as the lights flick on in Langford.
The city’s sixth annual Christmas Light-up celebration is set for Saturday, Dec. 1 at Veterans Memorial Park (Goldstream Avenue at Veterans Memorial Parkway).
“We started out doing this six years ago, we didn’t know how big it’s going to be … It’s just taken off exponentially,” said George Henshall, manager of public works for Langford. “There’s thousands that show up for this thing now. It’s one of our bigger events we do.”
The event is timed to coincide with the Island Equipment Owners Association truck parade.
“Then we buddied up with the markets, people do Christmas shopping, carol singing … We light up the tree and then everybody goes out onto Goldstream to watch the (truck) parade and it’s all by donation,” Henshall said.
Free hotdogs and hot chocolate are on the agenda for the event led off with the Goldstream Station Christmas Craft Market from 6 p.m. to 7. Donations are accepted for the Goldstream Food Bank.
Cliff LeQuesne of radio station 100.3 The Q fame will lead the festivities and welcome Santa who arrives at 7 p.m. Darkness will officially end at 7:30 for the official light up followed shortly after by the lighted truck convoy swinging through.
Not to be outdone, the City of Colwood is re-entering the lighted holiday season the next weekend.
“It’s back. We’re so excited, the last one we had was 2008,” said Nora Creamer, administrative support co-ordinator for engineering in Colwood. “It’s something we can give back to the community and we love it. It brings the community together.”
Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. city hall, 3300 Wishart Rd., will light up as the community welcomes St. Nick.
“We have mayor and council serving hot chocolate,” Creamer said. “Usually the schools come with a whole choir and then they bring their parents, and siblings and grandparents.”
Creamer who hopes for snow – “we had it one year” – promises Santa will be on hand, arriving on fire truck around 6:30 p.m. perhaps with Mrs. Claus in tow.
The jolly man himself returns to the West Shore the next weekend with the annual fire truck parade will take place on Sunday, Dec 16.
About 25 fire trucks and emergency vehicles plan to parade starting at 6 p.m. from City Centre Park. Santa will be a part of the parade and the festivities that follow at Christmas in the Park at City Centre Park. The free family fun event includes music, craft making, skating and more.