Naples Holiday Festival exceeds expectations
Photos by Mandi Bateman Getting up close and personal with the Percheron team that gave rides at the Naples Holiday Festival.
Photo by Mandi Bateman Frosty the Snowman and an Elf at the Naples General Store, where Santa posed for pictures with children during the Naples Holiday Festival.
Photo by Mandi Bateman South Boundary firetruck giving rides at the Naples Holiday Festival.
Photo by Mandi Bateman Eager children awaiting a ride in a firetruck outside of the Naples Fire Station.
Photo by Mandi Bateman Paula Sandelin of Star Dust Ranch, with her team of Percheron mares, gave wagon rides around the neighborhood.
There were games for children to play at the Naples Fire Station during the Naples Holiday Festival.
Photo by Mandi Bateman All ages clambered aboard the fire trucks for rides around Naples.
Photo by Mandi Bateman Handmade goodies were for sale by the Helpings Hands of Naples.
Photo by Mandi Bateman The caramel apple making station allowed people to get creative with their apple treats.
NAPLES — The sleepy community of Naples erupted with the sounds of laughing children, happily chatting adults, and the jingling from the harnesses of the two giant black percheron mares that pulled a wagon around the neighborhood. Santa, Mrs. Claus, Frosty the Snowman, and elves joined the festivities at the Naples Holiday Festival, held on Dec. 9.
Adults and children alike piled into the decorated firetrucks for rides and visited the Craft Fair at the Naples School, where booths of unique items spilled out into the hallway. They played games, bought homemade baked goods, watched Christmas movies and more, in the Naples Fire Station.
Santa chose the warm, cozy Naples General Store to relax, as eager children waited to sit on his lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas. Outside the fire station, a bonfire crackled merrily, attended to by firefighters, and surrounded by those wanting to warm chilly hands. A small forest of Christmas trees were available to take home for a donation, and could easily be admired from the fire.
“This year’s Naples Holiday Festival was an even bigger hit than last year,” said South Boundary Fire Chief Tony Rohrwasser. “It seems that each year the event grows, this year due to the hard work of a few, and the great media coverage, we have grown quite a bit. Our core planning group has consisted of about five to six people each year; this year we will have many more.”
“We had a fantastic time! We were all excited to give the rides around town,” said Paula Sandelin of Star Dust Ranch, who brought her team of Percheron mares. “Just seeing the huge groups of people waiting for the wagon ride was so encouraging. We hope to be able to do more fun community events in the future.”
Inside the fire station the tables were lined with fresh baked goods, including hot doughnuts, decadent cookies, and breads, all benefitting the Helping Hands of Naples.
“This is one of our fundraisers,” explained Helping Hands of Naples President Linda Cromwell. “That is how we make the money that we donate to the school, to the firestation, to whatever help we need to give wherever.”
Helping Hands of Naples also donates to the local food bank.
“We give them money for their Thanksgiving baskets and their Christmas baskets,” said Cromwell.
Everyone involved with Helping Hands helped create the baked spread, along with selling crafts they had leftover from a craft sale they had attended earlier.
“Helping Hands of Naples sold out their donuts and almost everything else too,” said Rohrwasser. “All of the Helping Hands monies generated goes back into the community of Naples.”
At the Naples General Store, owner Chad Kimball took pictures of over 150 children with Santa in just two hours, while a craft fair took place at the Naples Elementary School, where vendors displayed their goods, from paintings, to jewelry, to freeze dried products.
“DeeDee DePue, with all of her hard work and lack of sleep, organized an excellent craft show,” said Rohrwasser.
Owner of Harvest Gardens Freeze Dried Goods, Christine Petefish, had a booth right inside the door, showcasing her organic dried produce as well as unique items to appeal to the holiday crowd, such as freeze dried creamsicles on a stick, root beer floats, and ice cream sandwiches.
“It’s been good,” Petefish said about the steady stream of customers. “We’ve been having some nice people coming through.”
“A lot of this is just kind of for fun, especially around the holidays,” explained Petefish. “We would like to get into more of actually setting up organic produce in the future, for people to actually come out and purchase. I do use organic produce when I freeze dry. When you freeze dry your product, it retains its shape, form and nutrition. It’s a much better, healthier snack.”
Jennifer Widner of Restitution Metalworks displayed eye catching reindeer fashioned from horseshoes.
“It seems like we are having a really good crowd,” said Widner. “I wasn’t expecting all these people, but they have got so much going in the community right now, that I think they all compliments each other really well. They are doing really, really good.”
Ryne Rae, the president of the Bonners Ferry High School National Honor Society, along with six other members, volunteered their time to help with all of the events at the Festival. The South Boundary Firefighters Association donated their time, spouses and funds to support the Festival.
“Thanks to Santa, Mrs. Claus, the elves and Frosty for making the rounds taking pictures with the kids- and adults too,” said Rohrwasser. “The Holiday Festival events each year is based on what was made last year. With the amount of people this year we will be able to grow it some more next year.”
The community proved they don’t have to be big, to celebrate in a big way.
Call Tony Rohrwasser at 208-290-2613 if you have any input or ideas for next year.