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Christmas at mill ushers in bounty of holiday attractions at MetroParks
YOUNGSTOWN
Once a year, a beloved Mahoning Valley landmark transforms into a holiday wonderland that harkens back to the 1800s when Lanterman’s Mill was fully operational, churning out freshly-ground grains.
This week, Mill Creek MetroParks employees and volunteers were hard at working preparing for an influx of vendors, decking the mill out with bows and wreaths, and bringing in a 12-foot tree for an annual tradition: Olde Fashioned Christmas at the Mill, which runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
“The mill itself is completely decorated, inside and out,” said Carol Vigorito, recreation and education manager for the park. “Every surface is decorated, and by the time we get the vendors in here, it doesn’t even look like a mill.”
Visitors can watch artisans demonstrate old-fashioned crafts, purchase handcrafted gifts and enjoy entertainment such as juggling, live music and balloon art. Visitors are encouraged to bring hats, scarves and mittens to decorate a “Giving Tree” for children in need.
Artisans demonstrating their craft include a potter, someone who carves wooden spoons and another who handcrafts leather items, among others, Vigorito said.
“It’s a very traditional atmosphere – just a great way to kick off the holidays,” she said.
Olde Fashioned Christmas is part of a jam-packed holiday- and winter-themed schedule of events that caps off the park’s annual calendar.
The holiday line-up begins today with a Black Friday sale at Mill Creek Golf Course from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The shop also will have a “12 Days of Christmas” sale Dec. 11–22 and “The BIG” Christmas Sale on Dec. 23.
Also happening this weekend is Santa’s Winter Barn at the MetroParks Farm in Canfield.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Santa Claus will set up shop with his sleigh in one of the barns. He – along with reindeer, camels, goats, sheep and other animals – will be available for photo opportunities.
Brenda Markley, agricultural education manager for the park, said the event is a good chance for families to take photos for holiday cards.
“It’s a nice backdrop, and we don’t charge for that,” she said. “It’s a nice photo opportunity to be able to sit in Santa’s sleigh, and you can have your picture with or without Santa.”
Those events wrap up holiday weekend at the park, but the seasonal festivities continue through the beginning of January at Fellows Riverside Gardens, which from Dec. 5 to Jan. 3 will host its annual “Winter Celebration.”
“This year’s theme is ‘The Forest,’” said Lynn Zocolo, Mill Creek MetroParks educator. “It is a re-imagined forest, not a literal interpretation. ... The lobby area will be decorated with [decorated trees], so when you walk in, you will feel like you’re taking a walk through the park.”
As part of the display, the gardens will have a treehouse set up in the lobby, a life-sized eagle’s nest in a classroom and holiday tree walk on the lower level of the D.D. and Velma Davis Education & Visitor Center.
“I think it’s going to be a really hopping place,” Zocolo said.
FRG has extended hours on weekends during Winter Celebration. Visitors can stop by from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.