Breakfast with Santa
Santa is coming to town to have breakfast with Pickerington children and their parents.
The City’s 11th annual Breakfast with Santa is Saturday, Dec. 6, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Pickerington Senior Center, located at 150 Hereford Dr.
The breakfast is sponsored by the Pickerington Parks and Recreation Department and the Pickerington Senior Center.
Tickets are not available at the event, but can be purchased at the Pickerington Parks and Recreation Department at 100 Lockville Rd. or by mail until Dec. 3. They are $5 per person. Children 2 years old and younger are free. An online order form is available at www.pickerington.net.
All proceeds benefit the Pickerington Senior Center.
In addition to dining and visiting with Santa, children can make a craft, enjoy holiday music, buy goodies at the bake sale, and visit the Secret Santa shop to purchase gifts for loved ones.
“It’s a great event for the whole family to enjoy the holiday season,” said City Parks and Recreation Director Rebecca Medinger. “It’s great to watch the kids’ faces as they see Santa and Mrs. Claus making an appearance, and see the kids excited to buy from the Secret Santa shop to surprise loved ones on Christmas with a small gift. It’s an all-around good community event.”
Letters to Santa
Express mail service to the North Pole is available at Pickerington City Hall.
Children can place their letters to Santa in the new North Pole Express mailbox, designed and constructed by Pickerington High School Central art students, just outside the City Hall building at 100 Lockville Rd. until Thursday, Dec. 11.
Parents are asked to include the child’s name and address on the letter so that Santa and his elves are able to write back.
After all, this is a very busy time for Santa and his helpers.
Mitten Tree
A holiday tree in City Hall will be decorated with some very special ornaments to make the warmth of the season last even longer for Fairfield County families in need of a bit of kindness.In 1991, Dorothy Steiger, a longtime community advocate, approached Pickerington Mayor Lee Gray about decking out City Hall with a mitten tree.The Dorothy Steiger Memorial Mitten Tree is now an annual event in the City of Pickerington.Residents can place mittens, gloves, scarves, hats, coats and other warm gear on or under the tree from Friday, Dec. 5, through Thursday, Dec. 18.All of the donations will be presented to Fairfield County Job and Family Services to be distributed to families in need of warm clothing this winter.Merry MileRunners and reindeer will take their mark at Pickerington City Hall on Friday, Dec. 5, for the third annual Merry Mile.The race begins at 6 p.m. and will set the pace for the Olde Pickerington Village Holiday Gathering.
“The purpose of the Merry Mile is to get people outside to exercise, in some form, while having fun with their family, friends and neighbors,” said Tammy Sawyer, executive assistant to Mayor Lee Gray. “Having the event near Christmas just adds to the festive atmosphere.”
The course begins at City Hall, heads north on Lockville Road, proceeds right on Park Alley, turns left through the parking lot at 51 E. Columbus St., moves west on Columbus Street, heads south on Hill Road, goes east on Park Alley and then continues south on Lockville Road to the finish line at Victory Park.
While the race is primarily for fun and to encourage people to get fit, trophies will be awarded to winners in four different age categories.
Prizes will also be presented for the best individual holiday attire and the best group holiday attire.
“Previous winners have included someone dressed as a human Christmas tree, the characters from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and a father/daughter Santa team,” said Sawyer.
Last year, about 150 participants ran, jogged, walked and biked the 1-mile course.
There is no registration required or fee for the Merry Mile.
After finishing the course at Victory Park, revelers will walk to the gazebo where Gray will announce the winners.
“This is the first time we’ve had the Merry Mile as part of the Olde Pickerington Village Holiday Gathering,” Sawyer said. “It is our hope that having both events together will bring even more people to the Olde Village to celebrate the season. And they’ll be a little healthier when they leave, too.”
Olde Pickerington Village Holiday Gathering
More than 200 Pickerington residents and visitors are expected to celebrate an old-fashioned holiday with a visit to Olde Pickerington Village.
The City’s 18th annual Holiday Gathering begins at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5.
Sponsored by the Olde Pickerington Village Business Association and the City of Pickerington’s Park and Recreation Department, the gathering features carriage rides, strolling carolers, free children’s activities and a visit from Santa.
“It’s a great way to showcase the City during the holiday season,” said Pickerington Parks and Recreation Department Director Rebecca Medinger. “It encourages people to get out and shop in the Olde Pickerington Village, and enjoy the cold weather with a fun event that includes sipping hot chocolate, sampling cookies, making crafts, experiencing a horse-drawn carriage ride, listening to carolers and seeing the City tree-lighting ceremony to kick off the season.”
The Merry Mile – a 1-mile fun run – will be part of the Holiday Gathering and will have racers, joggers, walkers and bikers prancing through the City at 6 p.m. The milers are cncouraged to complete the race dressed in holiday gear.
The tree-lighting ceremony will officially kick off the holidays in Pickerington at 7:30 p.m.
While the Holiday Gathering ends at 8:30 p.m., there will still be plenty of shopping days left to visit and shop in the Olde Pickerington Village.
