Wellington lights up

Community celebrates start of holiday season

The sound of the bells at the United Church in Wellington at six o’clock on Friday evening was the signal for the lights in the village to come on. One by one the trees in the park were lit up by strings of brilliant blue lights. Windows and façades along Main Street were soon awash with light to banish the evening’s gloom. A choir in the gazebo, with the members in festive garb, led the community in a sing-along of favourite seasonal tunes. If the songs weren’t enough to chase away the evening chill, members of the Prince Edward County Skating Club were on hand to serve steaming cups of hot chocolate.

(L-R): Autumn (partially in shadow), Alex, Jackson and Walker McCumber join a row of Whos in Wellington park.

This was the second year for the event, which the Wellington and District Business Association (WDBA) launched last year as a means to get the community out and have some fun as the weather turned colder. “It’s something to beautify our town and get everyone in the holiday spirit,” says Evan Nash of the WDBA. “It just morphed into a really fun community thing where everybody comes out.”

The event has grown substantially since last year, with nearly double the number of participating businesses. New this year was an opportunity for the little ones to have their photo taken with Santa, who made a special early appearance at The General. Parents were asked to make a donation to the StoreHouse Foodbank, and contributed over $200. The event was also the kickoff to Wassail in the County. Three wineries—Sandbanks, Karlo Estates and The Grange of Prince Edward—offered wine tasting at Wellington Town Hall, with the proceeds also being donated to the foodbank. The wineries donated the wine and the WDBA and the Prince Edward County Winegrowers Association covered the other costs, so the full amount raised ($325) went directly to the foodbank.

For Nash, seeing the park full of people was the highlight of the evening. “It was really sort of whimsical when I came around the corner and could see all the lights and hear all the carolling,” he says. “I had my two-year-old daughter with me and she was squealing with delight. There’s a ton of kids here running around and having a good time, and that’s really the target.”