Columbia Falls has a rich tradition of Christmas celebrations via the Night of Lights parade.
This weekend, two fun-filled new traditions for kids and families are added to the list: The Rotary Club of Columbia Falls 1st Annual “Brunch with Santa” event, and a Children’s Mercantile at Station 8 (formerly Linc France’s garage).
Rotary’s Brunch with Santa event goes from 9am to 1pm on Saturday December 6th at the new Columbia Falls Junior High School across the street from the Columbia Falls Veterans Home.
The Rotary Club of Columbia Falls is using this event as a fundraiser for their local projects (some listed at the bottom), the biggest planned for 2009 so far is their support for a new evening teen program at the Boys and Girls Club of Columbia Falls.
In addition to the brunch provided by Cimarron Catering, the Nite Owl, Lorrie’s Deli, KFC, Tien’s, Los Caporales, Pepsi of Kalispell, Smith’s, The Bean Hive, Scout Troop 1941 and Phybbs Deli, there’s plenty of fun planned.
Most importantly, Santa will be there and kids can get a free photo with Santa courtesy of Role Photography of Columbia Falls.
In addition to the food and Santa, there’s a rather sizable silent auction, a 50/50 and entertainment from Columbia Falls High School jazz ensembles, as well as local choral groups.
The silent auction contains over 50 items, including gifts, art, cosmetics and skin care items, coffee, pizza, barbeque, waterslide passes, auto services, Wildcat clothing, food, golf items, photography, golf rounds, raft trips, nights at area resorts including Meadow Lake and Whitefish Lake Lodge, business services, plenty of gift certificates; and perhaps of interest to Flathead Valley sports fans – some very rare autographed Drew Bledsoe items.
Directions:In Columbia Falls, turn south off of US 2 (just west of St. Richard’s Catholic Church) onto Veterans Drive to get there. You’ll see yellow signs, followed by banners on vehicles at the junior high.
Children’s Mercantile at Station 8
The other new tradition – which comes from the Station 8 owner Collette Gross’ childhood – is a Christmas mercantile for kids. A kids-only shopping area in the fabulous new Station 8 Mercantile will start for the first time the evening of Night of Lights parade (Dec 5, 630pm). Kids have their own shopping area of very low cost – many under $1 – but nice items that they can pick out themselves. As I listened to the description of the event from Collette’s fond memories, it sounds like another great new experience for the kids of Columbia Falls.
More about the Rotary Club of Columbia Falls:
The Rotary Club of Columbia Falls was formed in mid-2006. Despite their “youth”, the club has successfully completed several substantial projects around Columbia Falls and globally.
Those projects include:
- a gift of approximately $24,000 for the refurbishing of the Columbia Park Tennis Courts (including a rest room and handicap entry in progress)
- annual support for the Columbia Falls Food Bank Christmas Dinners
- providing student dictionaries to 3rd graders in School District 6
- annually sending 2 Columbia Falls High School sophomores to RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Camp)
- building a chain link fence around the play yard at the new Boys and Girls Club of Columbia Falls
- co-sponsoring the Red Cross blood drives at the North Valley Hospital Community Center in conjunction with Glacier Bank of Columbia Falls
- Adopt-a-Highway along MT 206
- swim lessons at the city pool for kids who otherwise couldn’t afford them
- international sponsorship of two orphan girls in Zambia
- providing bedding and related items to orphanages in Brazil
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The Club meets at the Back Room of the Nite Owl every Wednesday at noon. Guests are welcome.