It’s the most wonderful time of the year — again.
The Port of Orillia and main street businesses joined in to celebrate Christmas in June Saturday. Santa Claus, visiting the Sunshine City from his home at Santa’s Village in Muskoka, roamed around the downtown Farmer’s Market and Port of Orillia.
Allan Lafontaine, harbour master, said the long-running event gives boaters a chance to celebrate Christmas during boating season.
Rina Dougherty, of Keswick, likes the idea.
“It brings boaters together,” she said. “And boating season isn’t all year long, so we get to spend Christmas with boating friends.”
This was Doughtery’s first time participating in the event, which offers prizes for the best decorated vessels.
“I just threw something together and had fun with it,” she said.
It may have been an inaugural experience for Dougherty, but veterans Rhonda and Ed Smith have been participating in the event for 18 years.
“We do something different every year,” said Rhonda, putting some finishing touches on a nutcracker statue. “The thought behind this starts in February, and then is brought to life in June.”
Ed said they’ve thought of just about every theme for their decorations.
“We’ve done Candyland, Santa in Hawaii, Love Boat, Pirates in Christmas and other tropical ones,” he said.
Lafontaine said the docks stay open for the entire day, so city residents, as well as other boaters, can roam around and enjoy the decorations.
There’s a live band playing between 1 and 4 p.m., he said, and generally boaters end up walking into town for some shopping and food.
That’s exactly what Dougherty said she and her family had planned for the day.
“We’ll probably check other boats and go into town,” she said. “We heard some stuff is happening there. And we’ll shop and maybe eat something, too.”
Lafontaine said 200 or more boats would be coming by the docks for this weekend. And he added the nightime boating parade that had been part of the festivities for years had been cancelled for safety reasons.
“But the lights will be on till late,” said Lafontaine.
