Kingston’s Country Christmas Dec. 8 is a great excuse to take a break from holiday mayhem and to-do lists. Bring the family into town for a day packed with community good cheer and activities for all ages. It’s an opportunity to visit with friends and merchants, take in local artwork, bright lights, get some fresh air and relax.
Sponsored by the Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce and its Kingston Revitalization Association, a number of local groups are participating this year.
Festivities get powered up for the day at the Wolfle PTA Santa’s Breakfast. From there, head downtown, park for free at the Port of Kingston, Kingston Community Center or Kingston Thriftway shopping center and catch a hay wagon shuttle to the Llamas 4 Love Holiday Bazaar in the community center and Art Walk.
End the day at dusk back down at the port’s Mike Wallace Park to catch Santa lighting the tree and the decorated boat Christmas Cruise. Wrap up the evening with the Hometown Band at Redeemer United Methodist Church, and the Kingston Art Gallery’s gala.
Santa’s Breakfast at Wolfle
8:30-11:30 a.m. The Wolfle Elementary School PTA in Kingston once again offers its annual Santa’s Breakfast at the school on Highway 104.
The Santa’s Breakfast menu includes eggs, pancake, ham, juice, coffee and tea. Cost is $4 per person or $15 for a family of four. Pictures with Santa are provided by T & C Photo. Photos are $5 for one person, $1 for each additional person.
There will also be a silent auction, raffle, prizes and music by the Wolfle Choir Carolers. This is a community event in conjunction with Kingston Country Christmas.
Hop aboard a shuttle, vote on decorations
Hay wagons pulled by tractors will provide transportation during Country Christmas. Hop aboard one of these shuttles to get you from one end of town to the other (the ferry terminal to Kingston Thriftway), with stops along the way at Country Christmas events.
While enroute, fill out a ballot to vote for your favorite holiday decorated shop or business. Merchants in downtown Kingston are invited to participate in the Kingston Revitalization Association’s annual holiday decorating contest and offer refreshments to customers. The winners of two categories for Best Decorated and Most Inviting, voted on by residents during Country Christmas, win gift baskets filled with goodies donated by local businesses. To participate in the decorating contest, contact Betty Mathers at (360) 297-7107 or Stephanie Stebbing, (360) 297-4165.
Gift bazaar, Santa, kids’ activities at community center
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Llamas 4 Love, the local Future Farmers of America club, hosts its family-friendly arts & crafts, gift and goodies bazaar at the Kingston Community Center. This event is the heart of Country Christmas with Santa, visiting llamas outside, craft activities for kids of all ages and musical performances by young musicians. Non-profit children’s organizations are encouraged to participate as well as other local crafters. Call Llamas 4 Love group leader Pam Flaman at (360) 638-2213.
11 a.m.- 3 p.m. Santa will drop in at the bazaar in the community center to hear Christmas wishes from children. Kingston Kiwanis will be on hand to snap photos of the kids with Santa.
Kingston Holiday Art Walk
10 a.m.-5 p.m. The Kingston Holiday Art Walk takes place downtown during Country Christmas, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 8. The Holiday Art Walk features the work of 28 local artists in five venues including Earth Dance Pottery, Liden Bode Printmaker, Kingston Art Gallery, Boxley Gallery and the Kingston Quilt Shop.
Start at the Kingston Art Gallery on Highway 104 and West Kingston Road. From there head to Betty Claire’s Earthdance Pottery studio on West Kingston Road where her functional porcelain and stoneware will be shown alongside Harv Kolln’s Spirit Birds. One more block west is Marilyn Liden Bode’s waterfront studio with her original prints. Hand-painted eggs, gifts from Stillwaters Environmental Education Center and organic treats from Lifeforms Farm will also be featured. Back in town, up from the ferry terminal on Highway 104, the Boxley Gallery features the Northwest Coast native carvings of David Boxley and the jewelry of Lorene Boxley. Further along the sidewalk, the Kingston Quilt Shop will show handmade quilts by local quilters and the paintings and jewelry of Marcia Randall DeBard.
5-8 p.m. The Kingston Art Gallery hosts its Second Anniversary Gala featuring the cooperative gallery’s 18 artists, refreshments and live music with the Eclectics. Donations will be collected for local food banks. For information call (360) 297-2213 or (360) 297-5133.
Boats light up for visitors and Christmas Cruise
4 p.m. The public is invited to come down to the Port of Kingston’s guest dock, check out decorated boats and come aboard for cookies and hot cocoa during the Kingston Cove Yacht Club’s annual event before and after the tree lighting in Mike Wallace Park. Weather permitting, boats will head out for a Christmas Cruise and create a parade of lights. For more information, contact the yacht club at (360) 297-3371.
Lighting up the port
5:30 p.m. (time may vary – plan on being there by dusk) North Kitsap Fire & Rescue will escort Santa on a fire truck down to Mike Wallace Park at the Port of Kingston marina for the ceremonial lighting of the port’s Christmas Tree. Country Christmas organizers hope to have small bonfires in 50-gallon drums to light up the night and warm up by.
Holiday concert with The Hometown Band
7 p.m. Local favorites The Hometown Band wrap up the day’s festivities with a holiday concert at Redeemer United Methodist Church at the corner of Parcell and Shorty Campbell roads off Highway 104.