Kingston families ready for Santa

BY NANCY KELLY

Kings County Register

Kingston rolls out the welcome mat for the festive season, with its annual visit from Santa, dropping by the Western Kings arena Dec. 4 between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The celebrations continue just a few short weeks later, when the village rings in the new year with a community fireworks display Dec. 31.

Both family-friendly events will feature cookie decorating, wagon rides, a free family skate, hot dogs, warm apple cider and hot chocolate at the arena. While Santa is the star attraction Dec. 4, the New Year’s Eve celebration, which runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the arena, will feature a spectacular fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. at the Kingston Superstore parking lot.

Kingston recreation coordinator Glen Abriel says events have proven very popular with village residents. “They have become wonderful traditions for our community,” says Abriel, recalling last year’s New Year’s event, when “snow started coming down in huge flakes” just as the fireworks got underway. He says the lights from the fireworks and the snow combined to create a “beautiful sight.”

The cost of admission to each event is a non-perishable food donation for Kingston’s Upper Room Food Bank. For more information, call the village office at 765-2800 or email kingstonrec@ns.aliantzinc.ca.