Christmas Magic Returns to Hawley Street with The Hawley Jolly Christmas Light Show

The Hawley Jolly Christmas Light Show is back for its third season at 645 Hawley St. in Peterborough starting Nov. 25.

Photo courtesy of The Hawley jolly Christmas light show, Facebook.

Homeowner Jordan Downer says the pandemic project stemmed from his love of Christmas growing up.

“I started the show during COVID because I’ve always been obsessed with Christmas lights since I was a kid. I always wanted to put on a show timed to music but never took the jump,” said Downer. “I figured COVID was a perfect excuse to go for it, with lots of extra time on my hands during lockdown.”

With over 10,000 lights, props and six new songs (plus returning favourites from 2020 and 2021), Downer says the display even responds to music, lighting up and blinking to the beat. Synching with a broadcast on FM radio, visitors can tune into the musical experience of the light show as they drive onto the street.

“Simply drive onto the street and tune your radio to 88.3 FM. You’ll hear the music and skits from anywhere within the block so even while you’re waiting in line for a better spot as it gets busier closer to Christmas, you can still enjoy the songs,” he said.

The light show is accepting donations for The Peterborough Salvation Army and is asking those coming to enjoy the lights to bring along a non-perishable food item, a new unwrapped toy or a monetary donation to be placed in the driveway bin. Donations will be brought to The Salvation Army at the end of December.

Those interested in visiting the third annual lights display can do so from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. every night until Dec. 25.

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Lang Pioneer Village Gets In Holiday Spirit With 'Christmas By Candlelight'

Lang Pioneer Village is celebrating a traditional pioneer Christmas with ‘Christmas by Candlelight’ for Dec. 3 and & 4 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. announced on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of Nicole Gosse and Lang Pioneer Village.

The village will be lit with candles, lamps and lanterns. The nights feature horse-drawn wagon rides, campfire stories, old holiday treats, photo shoots and Christmas carols.

The Sunday evening has a live nativity complete with animals and a choir presented by the Keene United Church.

Visitors are encouraged to bring non-perishable food item to donate to the Otonabee South Monaghan Food Cupboard at the Museum Shop.

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The Kinsmen Santa Claus Parade Returns to Peterborough

After two years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kinsmen Santa Claus Parade will return to Peterborough on Dec. 3.

File photo.

The theme for the 47th Kinsmen parade will be ‘Christmas Around the World.’

The parade will begin at 4:45 p.m. at Peterborough City Hall, making its way down George Street and ending on Prince Street. Typically the parade route ends at the Peterborough Memorial Centre, but as the Peterborough Petes have an OHL game that night, they will end on Prince Street instead.

Those who are interested in being apart of this year’s celebration are asked to complete and return the application to the Kinsmen Club of Peterborough. Registration deadline is Nov. 25.

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Peterborough’s Downtown Business Improvement Area Launches ‘Halloween in the Booooro’ Event

Celebrate Halloween with the Downtown Business Improvement Area’s (DBIA) ‘Halloween in the Booooro’ event in downtown Peterborough on Oct. 29, announced on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of the Downtown Business Improvement Area.

The DBIA will have a lineup of free, interactive, spooky family-friendly activities and programming such as a scavenger hunt and trick-or-treating from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. An adult zombie escape game will take place after 8 p.m.

At the scavenger hunt, players can try their luck at saving the Simcoe Street Skeleton by completing the self-guided Halloween hunt, starting at Black Honey. The Halloween hunt will have 13 stops along the way and a small prize at the end for those who complete the scavenger experience. The Save the Simcoe Street Skeleton Halloween hunt will not require any registration or equipment to participate.

The zombie escape game at Peterborough Square will have multiple playtime options from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. to sign up and try to escape the zombie apocalypse. Participants must be 18 or older.

“It’s great to see our incredible business community come together to bring some Halloween fun and animation into our downtown,” said Terry Guiel, DBIA executive director. “Halloween is a beloved holiday and I think the community will really enjoy taking advantage of the free programming on offer as we celebrate our first ever Halloween in the Boooro event.”

Businesses will decorate their window displays with Halloween decorations leading up to the event and locals are encouraged to vote for their favourite downtown window display to determine which business embodied Halloween and the theme of fairy tales and folklore the most. Window displays will start on Oct. 21 and voting will be open online until Nov. 1.

Businesses that will be handing out candy and will remain open for late night shopping include Boardwalk Boardgame Café, Chumleighs, KC Costumes, Couture Candy, Iceman Games, The Toy Shop, Naked Chocolate, Dreams of Beans, Cheek PTBO, Tragically Dipped, Watson and Lou, Plant Goals, Statement House, Boba Tea, Wild Rock, Ritual Apothecary and Rawscoe’s Sport Collectables.

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Hometown PTBO: Jordan Downer On His Lights Display and How He Got Started

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday speaks with Jordan Downer about his holiday lights display, its charity aspects and how his light show got started.

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Peterborough Petes Release Schedule and Route of Holiday Truck Tour

The Coca-Cola Holiday Truck Tour is coming to Peterborough with a detailed map, approximate timelines and COVID-19 protocols released by the Peterborough Petes on Monday.

Photo Courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

The tour takes place on Wednesday from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The festivities will begin where the Kinsmen Club Santa sleigh will depart Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC).

The Holiday Truck Tour will be escorted by the Peterborough Police featuring three holiday trucks with Santa Claus and Petes mascot, Roger the mascot. Fans can track Santa, Roger, and the Christmas floats on the Petes Facebook page as Petes in-game host Courtney Bell broadcasts live from the route. 

The approximate timeline for the Holiday Tour. Photo Courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

This initiative is a part of the Petes and C.O.P.S. (Community Oriented Partnerships and Support) program which sees players on the Petes roster matched with members of the Peterborough Police Service (PPS) Emergency Response Team (ERT), along with other members across multiple sections of the PPS. As part of the partnership, Petes players and PPS attend community events.

The detailed map of the Holiday Tour. Photo Courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

Fans are encouraged to share their experience by posting their photos and videos from the event to their social media accounts using the hashtags: #DeliverTheMagic #HolidayTruckTour, #PetesHaveFun, and to tag the Petes at @PetesOHLHockey.

Photo Courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

Based on submissions from members of the community included on the route are a variety of residential areas including the south end, west end, north end, and East City. The drive-by will conclude at the PMC at 9:00 p.m.  

To ensure the safety of the Holiday Truck tour and the public, the Petes and the Peterborough Police will be following and enforcing all safety measures and protocols in place from Peterborough Public Health. The Holiday Truck Tour crew will be distributing candy canes while on foot in certain residential areas. 

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