MARKLEVILLE — With the help of lifelong resident Joanne Pring, Markleville was able to offer the simple phrase — “Merry Chrstmas” — to kids beyond the 1-92 age range mentioned in the well-known holiday classic, “The Christmas Song.”
Pring, 94 — who had her photo taken with Santa — and several family members were among the hundreds of visitors to Christmas in Markleville, an annual holiday celebration that took place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at North Christian Church.
In addition to Santa visits, there were door prizes and vendor booths offering a range of products, from holiday to woodcraft items.
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Also, lunch was served, including chili, chicken and noodles, and hot dogs with toppings. There was no charge, but a free-will offering was accepted.
“We ran out of food early,” said Chris Arens, one of the volunteers who helped organize the park board event.
People shopped the booths with thoughts of loved ones and the holidays on their minds.
Chris Troxel of Middletown was talking with friend Maren Hecker of Greenwood about cookie jars for sale at a booth.
“I’m going to go home with one. I’m going to get one for my mom for Christmas,” Troxel said, giving permission for the gift to be mentioned in a news story.
Lisa Riggins and Sherri Brown of New Castle came to the event to shop.
When asked what she had bought, Brown removed her purchase from her bag and unwrapped it.
“It’s a little tree,” she said, holding up an ornament.
“I didn’t need another one, but I got it anyway,” she said.
Dianna Smith, another volunteer on the park board event committee, estimates attendance was well over 200, because they made enough food for that number and they ran out. And, furthermore, not everyone who comes in eats.
Smith said proceeds from event will benefit the park department, which is in the process of building an extension onto its building at Community Park, the location for other town festivities, including Markleville Jamboree.
Construction of the extension has begun. If it’s done in time, next year it will be the site of Christmas in Markleville, which has taken place at the church for a couple of years and at the Hardy Building downtown for even longer before that.
“Hopefully next year we’ll have our own building,” Arens said.
