Santa Shoutout gives local children a touch of Christmas magic
- Ron Giofu
- 20 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Local children came to the giant snow globe next to the Gordon House and got a chance to meet up with Santa Claus.
Santa and Mrs. Claus were in the snow globe Dec. 12 as part of the annual “Santa Shoutout.” The town-organized event saw “elves” around the snow globe gathering Christmas lists from parents and grandparents, relayed to Santa inside the snow globe and read to the children who kept a close eye on the big guy, awaiting their names to be read.
Sarah Van Grinsven, a tourism co-ordinator with the Town of Amherstburg, pointed out the “Santa Shoutout” dates back to when it was done off the balcony of the Gordon House roughly eight years ago. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was changed to where Santa Claus went inside the snow globe but it worked so well that Santa and Mrs. Claus stayed inside.
The night proves to be magical for local children, she added.
“When Santa knows what they are asking for, their eyes light up,” said Van Grinsven. “The spirit of Christmas lights up in their eyes.”
Personal information, such as names of siblings, parents as well as the Christmas lists themselves, help connect with the children.
The River Lights Winter Festival is going well overall, Van Grinsven reported.
“It’s awesome,” she said. “For River Lights in general, it’s going really great.”Recent snowfalls have helped, Van Grinsven said, as having snow on the ground adds to the atmosphere and allows the lights to shine off of the snow.
“Visitors have been great,” she said.
The last weekend for the warming house in Toddy Jones Park is Dec. 19-21, with donations being accepted for the Bryerswood Youth Camp at the hot chocolate table. Santa Storytime runs Sunday at 6 p.m.
The light displays will remain illuminated through Jan. 4, Van Grinsven added.
“We want everyone to come out and enjoy the holidays,” she said, “and make it part of their traditions.”
By Ron Giofu