Those who have been hankering for a traditional Christmas event – the kind with carolers and crafts and old-world fun – will be getting their Christmas wish early this year with the first Christmas on King Street in Fort Langley on Dec. 10 from noon to 8 p.m.
Put on by the Langley Arts Council, BC Farm Museum and the Langley Centennial Museum, the event has already sprouted legs of its own as word spreads throughout the village and beyond according to Jeff Chenatte, acting cultural services manager with Langley Centennial Museum.
“It’s going to be a really unique and festive atmosphere,” he said. “I think that because here at the museum we have a lot of contact with people, there is great interest in a pedestrian-friendly seasonal activity.”
As a blacksmith, Chenatte will be making stocking hooks and offering them by donation for the Empty Stocking Fund, which is one of the charitable aspects of Christmas on King Street. (See the story at langleyadvance.com, search ‘stocking’.)
The Langley Centennial Museum will be open to visitors to check out the exhibits, displays and a variety of Christmas-themed activities.
The BC Farm Museum will have a wide range of activities for kids and adults, including photo stations.
“They have so much going on there,” Chenatte said of the neighbouring museum. “There will be a bunch of photo stations where people can have photos taken with Father Christmas.”
King Street will be closed to traffic during the event to allow for a street full of arts and crafts, food vendors and upwards of 30 artisans with their works on display for sale. Tents will be set up along the street, the arts council will be running a barbecue, and Save-On-Foods is offering free apple cider and hot chocolate.
“This thing has just really taken off,” noted Chenatte.
“It’s like the house party you plan and all of a sudden 200 people show up.”
Chenatte and the other organizers are expecting more than a house party on King Street of course.
The event is intended to inspire the sense of a traditional Christmas street event with the music, entertainment, lights and the ability for both adults and kids to make-and-take craft items.
“We are bringing people into the community and showcasing Fort Langley in a very seasonal and different way,” he said. “We’ve had such a great reception to the idea.”