by Kurt LangmannBlack Press
Despite a cold downpour of slushy snow the community turned out for the "Light Up Aldergrove" Christmas parade and parties on Saturday.
The free family fun started with the 22nd annual Children's Christmas Celebration that afternoon at the Aldergrove Legion, hosted by the Aldergrove Elks.
Santa and Mrs. Claus, along with their elves, were there to greet the guests, and Madam Butterfly and her facepainting crew were busy decorating faces with festive designs and creating balloon animals.
Cinderella, and Elsa and Anna from Frozen were singing and dancing with the children, as well as telling stories and having snowball fights with the children, using soft styrofoam "snowballs."
Aldergrove Elks served up hotdogs and beverages for the kids, who also received free gift packages from the Elks Club members. Parents were treated to Thai food, served piping hot on rice.
After the party was over the 23rd annual town parade started in the evening, with a variety of floats from the local girl guides and youth soccer club to others such as the Dogwood Pacesetters club marching down the slushy street in the rain.
The final float was carrying Santa and Mrs. Claus, along with Elsa and Anna.
It was not ideal weather, but everyone made the best of it and there was plenty of hot chocolate and other warm beverages served, along with hotdogs, all free of charge too, thanks to local business donors and the Aldergrove Business Association.
The third annual after-party was hosted by Aldergrove Business Association in the Vineyard Church building and parking lot, where guests could mingle and warm up out of the rain.
There was cheery Christmas music from local fiddler Anne Guite, and there were plenty of children's activities inside the church hall.
The town Christmas tree was also set up in the parking lot and a local family threw the switch together to light it up. The tree, provided by All Seasons Garden Centre is huge and was moved to their parking lot, across from Safeway, for the rest of the season -- to protect it from vandalism.
