By Staff
Now on display within the storefront windows of Caruso's Candy Kitchen and Majerek's Hallmark are the Giant Gift Baskets that will be awarded to a boy and girl during the Dowagiac Old-Fashioned Christmas Celebration's Open House Weekend, Nov. 18 and 19.
"Children who visit our Old-World, Victorian Santa during Open House Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 18 and 19, will have an opportunity to win a giant gift basket, plus the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to accompany jolly ol' St. Nick in this community's 100-unit Candle-light Christmas Parade," said Vickie Phillipson, chairman of the holiday promotion.
Phillipson is program director of the Dowagiac Downtown Development Authority and also the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the celebration.
The children's drawing, which is now in its third year, is one of several holiday events that will be held in and around Beckwith Park, in downtown Dowagiac next weekend, from noon to 3 p.m. on both days.
Corporate sponsors of the celebration, which also features southwestern Michigan's largest candle-light Christmas parade in downtown Dowagiac, on Friday, Dec. 1, are Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital, A-1 Expert Tree Service, Booth's Country Florist, Dr. Matthew Cripe, Felpausch Food Center, First National Bank and LaSalle Bank.
"While the Chamber of Commerce for several years has distributed free, 160-page holiday coloring books to the children who attend Open House Weekend, we wanted to create added excitement by giving away these two giant gifts baskets," Phillipson said.
"For the first time last year, we also extended the opportunity for our two winners to ride with Santa in our holiday parade. Indeed, what a special moment that was for 4-year-old Mitchell Kinzie and 3-year-old Madison Potter, winners of the 2005 drawing."
Youngsters can sign up for the free drawing beginning at noon on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 18 and 19, at the Beckwith Park, where Miss Dowagiac Sarah Ostyn and her Court of Honor will be on hand to assist the children.
Winner of the girl's basket will receive a "Holiday" Barbie, a "Beach" Barbie, Barbie's Hawaiian Vacation play set, a Disney Cinderella, a plush stuffed holiday bear, and a giant and cuddly plush dog.
Winner of the boy's basket will enjoy a Hot Wheels Skyway, an Action Cape Batman and Superman action figures, 4×4 Hummer and Avalanche car models, a basketball, football and soccer ball, plus a giant and cuddly plush dog.
Holiday coloring books and candy are also included in each basket.
Winners will be selected on Monday, Nov. 20, along with the six winners of the $150 Universal Dowagiac Gift Certificate Drawing that will award $25 gift cards to each winner.
The in-store holiday drawing is being hosted by: Apparel Alternatives, Booth's Country Florist, Imperial Furniture, Laurie Anne's, Majerek's Hallmark, The Marshall Shoppe, Murphy's Flowers, Vincent J. Jewelers, The Wren's Nest and Zeke's Restaurant.
Most of the Open House Weekend events will be centered in and around Beckwith Park, with the exception of the Theta Mu Sorority Craft Show on Saturday, Nov. 18, that will be held at Dowagiac Union High School from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and the Jenny Mehlenbeck art exhibit at the Dogwood Festival Gallery at Huntington Bank that opens Friday evening, Nov. 17, at 5 p.m.
In addition to meeting an Old-World, Victorian Santa, families will enjoy seeing the miniature horses and Sicilian donkeys of Bayside Farms of Dowagiac and touring the Grand Old City by horse-drawn carriage rides.