The plaza outside Oakdale’s Bianchi Community Center, as well as the main meeting room inside the center itself, were both jammed with vendors and shoppers over the weekend.

Hosted the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, the traditional Cowboy Christmas event opened up Friday evening, Nov. 25 and continued for much of the day on Saturday, Nov. 26.

A favorite part for many was the arrival of Cowboy Santa, coming in on horseback, setting aside some time during his busiest time of the year to pose for photos and hear Christmas wishes from local youngsters.

Vendors had a variety of wares, many with cowboy themes, but also including handmade items, candles, wreaths, sweet treats, jewelry and more. The event serves as the unofficial kick off to the holiday shopping season, and also coincides with Small Business Saturday.