WEEDSPORT - Vendors, music and Christmas cheer filled the streets of Weedsport as the town hosted its Old Tyme Christmas celebration Saturday.
The festival highlighted the community of Weedsport as local merchants set up booths and tents along the streets and inside local businesses. People celebrating the season could view items like alpaca wool yarn and knit products, handmade jewelry or ATVs and snowmobiles.
In addition to vendors selling goods, Weedsport's transformation into a holiday marketplace was complete with people selling fried dough, hot coffee and other fare intended to warm up cold revelers.
“This helps bring people out, it gets them into local businesses,” said Debbie Scida, a volunteer helping to organize the raffles. Proceeds from raffles, as well as from the vendors' fees, will be donated to the Weedsport food pantry.
Among those gathered Saturday was Jarrett Fronce, 6, who was there with his mother, Lisa, and took part in many of the activities available.
“I liked the bowling,” he said, referring to an outdoor bowling lane set up by the local Girl Scout troop.
The Fronces were taking a break from the cold to enjoy some lunch in the Presbyterian Church and planned to take a ride on one of the horse drawn carriages that were making periodic trips around the town.
Beyond the vendors and activities, the sense of community that the festival cultivated was seen by many as the highlight of the event.
William Smith, a Weedsport native who moved out of town 50 years ago, was at the community festival for the first time.
“It's great to see everyone coming together as a community,” he said.
“People are taking time to see folks they might not have seen in awhile.”
Barbara Gray, who was helping Smith volunteer at the Presbyterian Church to serve lunch to festival-goers, chimed in, “I just saw someone I haven't seen in over three years.”
Christmas cheer continued to fill the town as live music was played indoors and on the street, and smiling people looked over crafts and food, all the while serving to help the less fortunate.
In addition to vendors selling goods, Weedsport's transformation into a holiday marketplace was complete with people selling fried dough, hot coffee and other fare intended to warm up cold revelers.
“This helps bring people out, it gets them into local businesses,” said Debbie Scida, a volunteer helping to organize the raffles. Proceeds from raffles, as well as from the vendors' fees, will be donated to the Weedsport food pantry.
Among those gathered Saturday was Jarrett Fronce, 6, who was there with his mother, Lisa, and took part in many of the activities available.
“I liked the bowling,” he said, referring to an outdoor bowling lane set up by the local Girl Scout troop.
The Fronces were taking a break from the cold to enjoy some lunch in the Presbyterian Church and planned to take a ride on one of the horse drawn carriages that were making periodic trips around the town.
Beyond the vendors and activities, the sense of community that the festival cultivated was seen by many as the highlight of the event.
William Smith, a Weedsport native who moved out of town 50 years ago, was at the community festival for the first time.
“It's great to see everyone coming together as a community,” he said.
“People are taking time to see folks they might not have seen in awhile.”
Barbara Gray, who was helping Smith volunteer at the Presbyterian Church to serve lunch to festival-goers, chimed in, “I just saw someone I haven't seen in over three years.”
Christmas cheer continued to fill the town as live music was played indoors and on the street, and smiling people looked over crafts and food, all the while serving to help the less fortunate.
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