Hark! Batavia Riverwalk brings cheer
"…Six, five, four, three, two, one, Merry Christmas!"
With that, Santa Claus threw an electrical switch, and Batavia's community Christmas tree was illuminated to the "oohs" and "aahs" of the crowd.
Tradition was the key Sunday evening on the Batavia Riverwalk for the annual Celebration of Lights Festival, complete with caroling, treats, hayrides and a visit with St. Nick.
Santa arrived in high style aboard a Batavia Fire Department engine and then strode up to the stage at the Peg Bond Center where Mayor Jeff Schielke was waiting to welcome him while hundreds of people cheered.
"There's just something about rituals like this," Batavia Chamber of Commerce Director Roger Breisch said as he handed out gift bags to families. "These are the kinds of things we remember from our childhood."
Once the tree was lighted, Santa wasted no time going inside the warming house to learn what the good little girls and boys want for Christmas this year.
Scott and Janet Wulbert of Batavia have been coming to the Celebration of Lights for many years, bringing their three children.
"It's a tradition; it kicks off the holiday season, and the Riverwalk is just the best," Janet Wulbert said. "It's really nice to see this every year."
The youngest in the Wulbert family, 9-year-old Olivia, told Santa that she wants a Littlest Pet Shop playset, weaving loom loops and a surprise.
Scott used a video camera and Janet used a still camera to capture pictures of Olivia along with sister Hannah, 13, and brother Zachary, 11, posing with Santa.
After visiting with Santa, families bought treats from the Batavia Firefighters Association Local 3436 and the Batavia Teen Center.
The baked goods being sold by the firefighters had been made and donated by wives and mothers of the firefighters, said Ben Williams of the fire department.
While families waited in a long line to see Santa, others toured the Riverwalk on a tractor-pulled hay ride, while others ventured to the other side of Depot Pond for a story hour at the Gustafson Research Center inside the Depot Museum.
"I just love the see the Riverwalk being used," said Batavia MainStreet Director Britta McKenna, who was instrumental in organizing the volunteer-built Riverwalk more than a decade ago.