Santa to tour community

Santa Claus will be touring Boundary County Saturday, Dec. 3, via a parade of EMT and fire apparatus all lit up with Christmas lights for the first annual Santa’s Chariots of Fire event, hosted by South Boundary Fire District.

Santa will kick off his tour by arriving at the 10th annual Naples Holiday Festival, where he will be available for photos from noon to 4 p.m. inside the Naples General Store. The store will take photos and give the prints to parents.

The rest of the Naples community will also be buzzing with events for the entire family.

The annual holiday craft fair will provide Christmas shopping opportunities, beginning at 11 a.m. inside the Naples Elementary School gymnasium, located on Schoolhouse Rd.

Santa’s workshop is new this year, providing children with free wooden ornaments that they can paint and take home to decorate their new tree.

Preferably a tree purchased from South Boundary firemen for a donation, with all proceeds going to the local food bank, Naples Food Cupboard.

How much is the donation?

“Well, we’ve received anything from a handful of baked cookies to $200,” Tony Rohrwasser said. “It’s whatever people want to donate.”

To support the food bank, non perishable items can also be dropped off inside the fire station.

Helping Hands of Naples will be baking up some homemade sweets for their bake sale, with proceeds supporting the Naples school, the local fire station and other needs within the community.

Caramel apple-making will also be available, complete with sprinkles and an assortment of sugary toppings.

Holiday movies will be featured throughout the day inside in the fire station, with popcorn, hot dogs, chips, pop and a variety of snacks sold by the Naples school. All proceeds will be used to fund next year’s holiday festival.

There will be a bonfire next to the community church where s’mores and hot chocolate will be served near the Christmas tree lot. Christmas characters will be seen roaming around the community — last year the Grinch even made an appearance.

Jump on the blue, smurf fire truck and get a ride around the community. Fire truck rides will be available for everyone, picking people up and dropping them off all afternoon.

Due to warmer weather than usual, there will not be an ice skating rink available during this year’s festival.

The community purchases an ice skating rink liner every year to provide free ice skating over the winter months — free skate rentals included — but, Rohrwasser said, it will have to wait until the weather cooperates, which looks like it will be after the festival.

“Unfortunately the weather is too warm right now,” Rohrwasser said. “It’s looking good for the following weekend, though. The weather is dropping. As soon as the skating rink is solid, we’ll put a sign out letting people know it’s available for use.”

Skating hours are usually Friday nights from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., but could change. Everyone is welcome to come enjoy an evening of free skating and skate rentals, hot chocolate, and Christmas music. The fire station, 267-8052, will have a recorded message advising skaters of winter hours.

The festivities end in Naples at 4 p.m., with Santa in charge of lighting of the community Christmas tree. Then he’s off to Paradise Valley Fire District’s Main Station, where he will be available for photos at 4:30 p.m.

Santa will be transported and accompanied by a parade of six to 12 EMT and fire apparatus, all decked out in Christmas lights.

Santa will jump back on the truck and the caravan will continue on to Bonners Ferry Fire Main Station 1 at 5:15 p.m. Hot chocolate and photos with Santa will be available.

Santa will head to his final destination of the evening, ending his Boundary County tour at North Bench Fire Station at 6 p.m.

Children can expect hot chocolate to be served at all of the fire stations. Parents will be taking their child’s photos with Santa at all of the locations, as a photographer will not be available.

“We wanted to make this event affordable for everyone and fun for the entire community,” Rohrwasser said.

Information: 290-2613 or craft fair information: 627-1476