Comprehensive Guide to Christmas in the Village 2015

This Saturday, Dec. 5th, Manchester will celebrate a longstanding holiday tradition, Christmas in the Village. This year it includes craft shows, vendor shows, luncheons, special sales, open houses, lunch with Santa and of course, the Christmas Home tour. Here is our comprehensive guide to what is going on where:

• The Manchester High School Key Club will be hosting “Lunch with Santa” from 11am to 1pm at St. Mary’s Parish Hall located at 110 West Madison Street. There will be pizza, holiday games, a gingerbread house contest, Christmas cake walk, face painting, Christmas crafts and visits with Santa. This event is FREE for kids but donations will be accepted for Kids Against Hunger.  Download flyer here: LunchWithSanta

Other lunch options around the village abound as many of the church craft shows also feature luncheons. Craft shows include…

• Emanuel United Church of Christ Craft Show located at 324 W. Main Street from 9am to 4pm. This show includes crafters (including the Women’s Fellowship craft items), vendors, raffles, German baked and luncheon. Manchester Lion’s Club will be pre-selling Christmas Eve Luminaries at Emanuel all day – 10 units for $5 kit includes candles, bags and sand.
• Manchester Methodist Church Craft Show at 501 Ann Arbor St. from 9am to 3pm. The event includes many homemade crafts and artisan items for sale, a cookie walk, live wreath sale, pretzel sale by the MHS German class, St. Mary’s Church baked sale, luncheon & more
• Sharon United Methodist Church Craft Show located at the corner of Pleasant Lake Road & M-52 from 9am to 3pm. This large craft show has more than 30+ booths of crafters and also offers lunch.
• St. Thomas Lutheran Church Old World German Bake Sale & Luncheon will be held at Freedom Township Hall on Pleasant Lake Road from 11am to 1pm. It will feature authentic German baked goods including pretzels. Luncheon menu menu includes sloppy joes, hot dogs, German-style potato salad.
• Country Craft & Barn Open House located at 19442 Bethel Church Road (3/4 mile west of M-52) from 9am – 4pm will house 20 crafters and offer pop, water and popcorn for sale.

In addition to craft shows, other special events include…

• Holiday Shopping Extravaganza at Klager Elementary School located at 405 Ann Arbor Street from 10am to 2pm will have 17 vendors. They will also be holding a raffle with tons of prizes and will have snacks for sale. The PTO is looking for volunteers to work one hour shifts selling baked goods, concessions and raffle tickets. If you are available to help please email klagerpto@gmail.com. Download flyer with list of vendors here: HolidayShoppingExtravagaza
• Manchester Co-op Preschool will be holding a Mom-2-Mom Sale at the Manchester High School located at 20500 Dutch Drive from 8am to noon. Admission costs $2. Download flyer here: Mom2MomSale
• Potter David Nelson will be holding a Pottery Studio Open House and Sale at his studio located at 319 Morgan Street from 10am to 4pm. Pottery will be available for sale as well as homemade jewelry by Dee Miles. Click HERE for more info.
• The Manchester Farmers Market will be launching a brand NEW Winter Farmers Market at Christmas in the Village. It will be open from 10am to 2pm in the building on the corner of Main St. and Clinton St next to the post office (which previously housed Family Chiropractoric.) There will be organic produce from Hand Sown Farm for sale. The Farmers Market committee is looking for more vendors for this Saturday morning weekly winter market If you are interested please email farmersmarket48158@gmail.com

A second major Manchester event, the Manchester Christmas Home Tour, will be happing at the same day and this year will include 5 houses and historical sites within the village. Home tours will be running from noon to 8pm. Tickets cost $15 in advance or $18 at the door. All money raised goes to purchase Christmas decorations for the downtown. Click HERE for more information on the Home Tour.

In addition to the special sales and events going on, downtown businesses will be holding special sales and contests like the 50% off all Christmas decorations sale at Worth Repeating located at 201 East Main and a drawing for a Christmas centerpiece at the Flower Garden located at 154 East Main. Frank’s Place, located at 104 East Main, will have Christmas in the Village specials and desserts.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.