By KRISTI MAYFIELD
Hundreds of folks came out to celebrate the holidays this weekend during the annual downtown gathering in Oakdale. Festive crafts, unique ornaments and a variety of gift ideas, enough for the whole family, could be found at the Small-Town Christmas Celebration.
Smells of freshly brewed coffee mingled with that of kettle corn, filling the streets with tantalizing aromas as folks strolled through the brightly lit streets downtown on Saturday Dec. 7. If you preferred to sit down inside and enjoy some fresh food, House of Beef, Suzy Belen’s, Bistro 120 and a host of other downtown eateries were ready to serve you.
A little after 5 p.m., as the sun was setting, the community’s Christmas parade began. Off road vehicles, classic cars, diesel trucks and beautifully decorated floats carried special guests including the Oakdale Girls Soccer Club, residents of Belmare and Astoria Senior Living Centers and of course, the most famous guests of them all, Santa and Mrs. Claus. As the parade made its way through downtown, kids of all ages were treated to lots of great Christmas music performed by members of the Oakdale High Marching Band. The band was recently honored at an Oakdale City Council meeting for their outstanding achievements.
From there, it was a short walk to take in the beauty of the community Christmas trees located in Wood Park. Throughout the whole week leading up to the downtown event, sponsors from the community purchased trees and other decorations that were featured in the park. While the Oakdale High School Choir filled the chilly air with the sounds of Christmas Carols, the crowd gathered to enjoy the tree lighting.
Along with the tree lighting, parade and food and beverage options, the vast number of vendor booths gave everyone in attendance a chance to check some holiday shopping off the list. Organizers of the event also noted that the afternoon and evening festivities gave those in the community a chance to come together to share in the magic of the Christmas season.
