Hammondsport gets ready for the holidays

HAMMONDSPORT--Hammondsport's 38th annual Christmas in the Park celebration will be Saturday, Dec. 13 from 4 to 8 p.m. in the village square. The yearly village-wide event will feature the arrival of Santa Claus to meet with area children while featuring a variety of musical performances throughout the night.
Hammondsport Chamber of Commerce Office Manager Patrick Gaffney said the event will begin with a production by the Keuka Lake Players titled "Green Eggs and Hammondsport" from 4 to 5 p.m. for free in the First Presbyterian Church. He said the Curtiss School Chorus will take the stage at 5:15 p.m. and will be followed by the student chorus at 5:45 p.m.
Gaffney said Santa Claus arrives at 6 p.m. on a fire truck to greet the crowd and meet with the children who would like to tell him what they want for Christmas. He said Santa's Second String Reindeer will be on a live display throughout the event in a fenced-in enclosure.
Horse-drawn hay wagon rides will be available from 6 to 8 p.m. and will take riders from the square to the lake and back. Gaffney said there will be around 10 food and craft vendors at the park from 4 to 8 p.m. to serve items like chili, hot dogs, cider, baked goods and crafts. Earlier in the day, Gaffney said the women's auxiliary will be holding a Breakfast with Santa event from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Hammondsport Fire Station.
"The event is pretty similar to last year," Gaffney said. "[...] It is really weather dependent. I would anticipate more than 300 people [attending.]"
Gaffney said there may be some new music events for this year's celebration as well, as the chamber is still working on getting some last-minute events lined up for Christmas in the Park.