The West End will sparkle this weekend, with a schedule packed with holiday joy from Forks to Joyce.
The 13th Twinkle Light Holiday Parade on Saturday in Forks will provide a bright centerpiece for a weekend of holiday events that include the Festival of Trees and the Cherish Our Children fundraiser.
Tree lighting ceremonies will be held in Joyce tonight and Forks and Clallam Bay on Saturday.
Cherish Our Children
Santa’s first visit on the West End this weekend will be at the A-Ka-Lat Community Center in LaPush, 90 Main St., at 5 p.m. today as part of the annual Cherish Our Children fundraiser.
Dinner begins at 5 p.m., including seafood options, either a $10 salmon and seafood plate or $10 smoked salmon fettuccine plate.
Other dinner choices include a la carte options for spaghetti, hot dogs, artisan flat bread, clam chowder, cole slaw, and frybread.
The live auction begins at 6 p.m.
Activities will continue through the evening, including silent auctions, children’s activities and photos with Santa.
Crafts and gifts by local artists also will be available at the event.
Proceeds are used to provide gifts to more than 200 children in LaPush and Forks.
Auction items will be accepted through 5 p.m. Saturday.
To donate auction items or for more information, phone Sandy Heinrich at 360-374-6262, ext. 256, or Sharon Penn at 360-374-4278.
Joyce celebration
The weekend holiday spirit in the form of Christmas trees begins in Joyce with a tree lighting celebration to be held at 6 tonight.
A 40-foot tree set up between the Blackberry Cafe and Joyce Bible Church just off state Highway 112 has been set up.
The community is invited to gather around the tree, join in a countdown and flip the switch to turn on more than 2,500 lights.
Students from Crescent School and members of the Peninsula Men’s Gospel Singers will sing Christmas songs around the tree, and everyone will be encouraged to sing along.
Santa Claus will lead participants into the Bible Church gym for free bowls of soup and slices of pie and musical entertainment.
The Joyce Grinch will be announced and receive a custom-made crown.
To help raise money for the lights, people have been paying a penny a vote to elect the Grinch.
The Big Twinkle
This year, Forks organizers expect the largest, longest Twinkle Light parade ever beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Forks Avenue.
“There are 22 entries. We are very excited about it,” said Janet Hughes of JT’s Sweet Stuffs, who sponsored and organized the parade.
“We’re bigger than Macy’s [Thanksgiving Day Parade]. Per capita,” Hughes said.
Rather than the usual 10-minute parade, this year’s parade may last 20 minutes, she said.
Brightly lit floats and vehicles created by local businesses, individuals, clubs and organizations will light up the main street of town.
Among this year’s entries is a choir of 100 carolers, fire baton twirlers and tandem elves, Hughes said.
“We have planes, trains and automobiles. For real,” she said.
Every entry in the Twinkle Light Parade will be decked out in lights in one form or another, including generator-powered displays of traditional light strings or handheld flashlights.
Forks Tree Lighting
At the end of the parade will be a tree lighting ceremony as the community tree is illuminated for the holidays.
The tree features wooden ornaments handpainted by local children.
Carolers will provide live music, and one Forks child will be given the honor of lighting the tree.
A child from one of the Forks schools will be selected to “hit the big button,” Hughes said.
There were 30 children nominated by teachers at the schools, and a drawing will determine which of the children will be selected, she said.
Breakfast with Santa
Santa Claus will arrive early for breakfast with West End children from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday at Forks Congregational Church, 280 Spartan Ave.
Breakfast includes scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes, french toast and biscuits with sausage gravy served among the Festival of Trees holiday forest.
Tickets for the breakfast are $5 for adults and $3 for children younger than 12.
Photos with Santa Claus will be available for $5.
The breakfast is sponsored by the West End Business and Professional Association.
Holiday Bazaar
The Forks Outfitters Relay For Life team’s annual holiday bazaar will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in the Forks High School Commons.
Holiday ornaments, gifts and local artisan products will be available at the bazaar.
The fundraiser held by the Forks Relay For Life team raises money for the American Cancer Society
Moonlight Madness
Downtown Forks businesses will open late Saturday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. for shopping among the twinkling holiday lights, rain or moon.
Stores will offer special sales and deals for holiday customers.
Clallam Bay tree lighting
In Clallam Bay, the community Christmas tree will be lit at 4 p.m. Saturday at Clallam Bay Spit Community Beach County Park.
“As you drive into Clallam Bay, you can’t miss it. Just look for the tree,” said Sandy Tsiang, community tree committee chairwoman for the Clallam Bay-Sekiu Lions Club.
Santa will visit and take photos with kids. Cookies, hot chocolate and coffee will be served.
There will also be carolers from the community providing holiday cheer, Tsiang said.
“It’s for the community. They love it,” she said.
Sekiu children’s fair
The 26th annual Children’s Winter Faire will be held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Sekiu Community Center, 11 Rice St.
This free event gives local children a chance to create hand-made traditional gifts and projects for loved ones, and to visit with Santa Claus.
Children must be accompanied by parents or guardians.
Free refreshments include Miss Adele’s traditional cookies, coffee and holiday punch.
Volunteers from the West End Senior Citizens, West End Youth & Community Club, Clallam County United Way and Clallam Bay High School will be at the tables to help the children with their projects.
For more information, phone Jamye Wisecup at 360-460-5355.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
