Kick off the Christmas season Dec. 1 at the second annual Aberdeen Winterfest celebration

Dozens of merchants offering free drawings, tree lighting at 6 p.m. at Zelasko Park

By Dan Hammock • November 7, 2017 7:00 pm
Emmet and Ansel Quigg, sons of David Quigg, peer through the large Noel sign that was lit up along with the Christmas tree on the first day of the 2016 Aberdeen Winterfest. This year there will be two tree lightings - one Dec. 1 in Zelasko Park, and another at the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Dec. 2.
Emmet and Ansel Quigg, sons of David Quigg, peer through the large Noel sign that was lit up along with the Christmas tree on the first day of the 2016 Aberdeen Winterfest. This year there will be two tree lightings - one Dec. 1 in Zelasko Park, and another at the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Dec. 2.

In just its second year, Winterfest founders and co-chairs Bobbi McCracken and Bette Worth have found a way to expand the event. They have done so by bringing on board the Grays Harbor Historial Seaport and its executive director Brandi Bednarik.

The event, beginning Dec. 1, will be split into two sections: The North Pole — the events being held Friday evening and Saturday morning and early afternoon in downtown Aberdeen — and the South Pole, at the Historical Seaport starting at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2.

Festivities kick off at 5:45 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, in Zelasko Park, where Mayor Erik Larson will introduce the event. The old Aberdeen trolley used in last year’s festival will deliver the carolers at 5:55 p.m. At 6 p.m. there will be cocoa and cookies provided by the Aberdeen Parks Department, the carolers start to perform and Santa arrives on a fire truck. The Christmas tree will be lit and the public can enjoy free trolley rides from 6:30-9 p.m. The Aberdeen High School and Miller Junior High School are slated to perform as well, and carolers will be stopping and performing at downtown businesses.

The event was started to encourage foot traffic to downtown Aberdeen businesses. It coincides with Aberdeen’s “First Friday,” where downtown businesses stay open later and offer special deals to shoppers from 5-8 p.m. Each participating merchant will also provide a raffle item.

“Every merchant provides a drawing item. Last year Selmer’s put up a recliner,” said McCracken. “Friday night you can go to all the businesses and fill out tickets to win those items. And Saturday, you can go back and do it again.” Drawing tickets are free. A map of participating merchants can be found at winterfestaberdeen.com; there are 24 listed on the site so far, ranging from tattoo shops to gun shops to bakeries and more.

Saturday kicks off with the popular Breakfast with Santa at the D&R Events Center from 9-11 a.m. Lions Club members do the cooking and the breakfast is sponsored by Windemere Real Estate. The meal is free to kids up to 12 years old, everyone else is encouraged to make a donation. During this time there will be crafts for the kids and stationary and a special mail box with a direct line to the North Pole to write their letters to Santa. There will be pictures with Santa available for a fee yet to be determined — $10 last year — with proceeds benefiting the Grays Harbor Community Hospital Foundation.

As of this writing there were 28 vendors signed up for the event, and both McCracken and Worth will be working right up to the last minute to increase that number.

“Goldberg Furniture donated the space,” said Worth. “There will be 28 vendors from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.” Saturday, Dec. 2, at the old Goldberg’s store (117 W. Wishkah near the corner of Wishkah and K streets), all under one roof, and by doing that both co-chairs are hoping those 28 vendors won’t take away from the downtown foot traffic, but rather encourage it. Raffle winners will be announced some time after 3 p.m. Saturday; ticket holders need not be present to win.

The event moves to the South Pole — the Historical Seaport — at 2 p.m. The schedule is still somewhat up in the air, but currently Deb Blecha, who is on the South Pole Committee, is working with PAWS of Grays Harbor to coordinate pictures with pets and Santa, and GH Wine Sellars will be there selling their wines. Seaport Director Brandi Bednarik said the evening will also include a Christmas tree lighting and a Salvation Army Winter Drive, where warm clothes, blankets and food will be collected.

The Seaport will also unveil its new gift shop at the event. The gift shop is one of many improvements coming to the Seaport this year, which also includes the relocation of the Spar Shop — a facility that makes masts and other parts for wooden ships — to the Seaport. It will become part of their latest educational program, where young people can earn scholarships to learn maritime skills at a time when the maritime industry is in dire need of new blood. The grant-funded Sea School is set to kick off in 2018 and aims to give full scholarships to 24 students a year.

The 2016 event was well-attended, but McCracken and Worth are certain it will be even better this year.

“Last year we had a lot of merchants but it didn’t feel like there was much foot traffic on Saturday,” said Worth. “Friday attendance was good, and we had about 200 people at the Saturday breakfast but most of them just went home afterward.”

Preparations are under way. The Aberdeen High School art department will be painting the theme symbol for this year’s Winterfest, snowflakes, on downtown business windows. “We want all downtown businesses to be dressed in snowflakes,” said Worth.

Editor’s note: The Winterfest schedule and lists of vendors and participating businesses will change as the event gets closer. Check the winterfestaberdeen.com website or Winterfest Aberdeen’s Facebook page for updates.