Port Hope celebrates the holidays and the completion of Walton Street work
File photo
By Cecilia Nasmith
As the Municipality of Port Hope celebrates the holidays this year, it will also be celebrating the conclusion of three years of Walton Street reconstruction with a festive street party downtown – the Candlelight Festival on Friday, Nov. 28.
Visitors and residents alike are welcomed to the Candlelight Festival Street Party between 4 and 9 p.m., with an outdoor licensed area, fire pits, photo booths, projected animations, roaming buskers, free hot chocolate, an augmented-reality scavenger hunt and more. Portions of Walton, John, Ontario and Queen streets will be closed to allow pedestrians to roam safely and explore the downtown freely.
Along with marking the end of this major project, the event celebrates the resilience of the community and downtown businesses over the long haul. To commemorate that, the Port Hope HBIA is hosting Moonlight Madness, a district-wide extravaganza that brings Black Friday excitement to the Candlelight Festival.
This year, the outdoor artisan market will loop from Lent Lane through the Granary parking lot and out onto John Street, also from 4 to 9 p.m., with a selection of food vendors onsite to ramp up the festival atmosphere.
The actual Candlelight Walk begins at 155 Walton St. (at the corner of Walton and Pine) at 6 p.m. Participants are invited to bring their own light source – a lantern, candle with protective container, battery-operated candle or flashlight), though some flame and battery-operated candles will be available while supplies last. Participants are also invited to bring a donation of anon-perishable food item for the Fare Share Food Bank.
This year's carol list can be found on the digital Candlelight Song Sheet web page, and the young musicians of SONG (Sounds of the Next Generation) will help lead the singing of the holiday favourites. The walk concludes at Memorial Park, where there will be live music, hot chocolate and a countdown to the park lighting display.
Transit will run late that day – until 9:30 p.m. - to help bring everyone to the downtown.
And next day, the 88th annual Santa Claus Parade comes to town at 1 p.m. It starts at the intersection of Ridout and Bramley streets and continues along Walton to Queen Street, finishing at Augusta Street.
This year's theme continues the celebrations with Deck The Downtown. There will be live music, floats and plenty of spirit from local businesses and community groups.
If you can, consider donating a non-perishable food item to the Fare Share Food Bank for the collection along the parade route, and bring snacks and extra layers for that waiting-for-Santa experience.
Leading up to the big weekend, the Capitol Theatre brings back the Festival of Lights and Trees, a fundraising initiative begun in 1997 that has become a holiday tradition for all ages. You can view the trees between Nov. 21 and Dec. 31 and, while you are there, purchase your tickets for the stick and sweet panto – Hansel & Gretel.
Top Notch Carriage Service has set aside four dates to offer free horse-drawn carriage rides through the downtown, picking up next to the Walton Street bridge. The dates are Friday, Nov, 28, from 5 to 8 p.m., and the first three Saturdays in December from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Candlelight Festival holiday experience will be part of the festive shopping, dining, events and decor through Jan. 2.
For a full list of Candlelight Festival offerings, visit porthope.ca/candlelight-festival
