VERGENNES — The Vergennes Holiday Stroll kicks off a busy day early on Saturday, Dec. 7.
Join the Vergennes Partnership, the Bixby Memorial Library and the good people of Vergennes for a full day of holiday festivities at various locations around the Little City. Meet Santa Claus, and enjoy musical performances, a craft fair, sweets and treats, story time and much more.
Santa starts a busy day at the Vergennes Union High School cafeteria at a pancake breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Admission is $7 adults; $5 children under 12 years old; all proceeds benefit the VUHS music program.
After breakfast, see what’s on offer at the annual Addison Northwest School District Winter Holiday Craft Fair. The craft fair will take place at Vergennes Union High School and runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The price of admission is $3 or present a canned goods or other non-perishable foodstuff for the local food shelf. This is a well-organized craft fair with lots of great stuff.
Action moves to the Bixby Memorial Library for a raft of activities between 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. At the Main Street library, Santa will read Clement Moore’s classic poem, “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” at around 10:30 a.m. Then Vermont singer/songwriter Jon Gailmor will entertain the jolly makers at the library with holiday favorites around 11 a.m. Gailmor travels down from his Northeast Kingdom home to spend this special Saturday morning with the Vergennes community. Come and sing along and lift your spirit.
After some holiday refreshments, the wonderful Addison County-based women’s barbershop chorus Maiden Vermont will serenade Holiday Strollers at the Bixby.
Santa will be leaving the Bixby, but locals shouldn’t stray too far because a silent auction of holiday baskets donated by local businesses and library patrons will be in its last hours.
You may pop out for some shopping and wander up Main Street to the Vergennes Opera House for a replica North Pole and another visit from Santa from 1-3 p.m.
 Kids can get their pictures taken with Santa and a creative local artist will be providing a holiday craft for children to do — decorate a cookie or ornament — while waiting. They can also write a letter to Santa. The North Pole Mailbox will be there so kids can get their letters to Santa the official way.
Mom and Dad may enjoy listening to the Vermont National Guard 40th Army Band play a Holiday Concert between 4 and 5 p.m.
In case you forgot about the holiday basket auction at the Bixby — don’t forget that bidding wraps up at 1:45 p.m. The winners will be announced at 2 p.m. While you’re making your final bids and anxiously waiting around to see if you won, Maiden Vermont and Jon Gailmor will sing a special encore performance.
Night falls early in December and people in Vergennes will gather to mark the coming of the darkness with celebrations in City Park late in the afternoon. There will be fire pits and more, culminating in the lighting of the City Green ending the evening with a breathtaking display.