Several festive community traditions are packed into this coming weekend offering a variety of close-to-home options to help make the season brighter. Events and activities are scheduled throughout the weekend with the main events on Friday and Saturday evenings downtown Blissfield.
The Blissfield DDA/Main Street Program brings its fourth annual Wassail Fest to Lane Street Friday evening sponsored by Blissfield Rotary. The third annual Hot Cha Cha 5K Mug Run, benefiting the Miss River Raisin Scholarship Program, coincides with the Wassail Fest. Saturday evening the DDA/Main Street annual Parade of Lights presented by Anderson Rudd Funeral Home will make its merry way through the downtown.
Friday evening: Wassail Fest presented by Blissfield Rotary and the Hot-Cha-Cha 5k Mug Run sponsored by Miss River Raisin Festival Scholarship Program and Borchardt Brothers Market.
• Wassail Fest ° Event chairperson Dr. Ashley Bailey said a little friendly competition between merchants to win the title of Wassailmeister only helps to make the Friday evening event better for the participants. The fourth annual Wassail Fest takes place from 6-8:30 p.m. giving participants ample time to sample 13 separate wassail recipes at 11 stops along Lane Street. Drinking wassail, a mulled wine, usually served warm with spices added, is part of an old English tradition intended to ensure a good apple harvest in the coming year. Bailey Family Chiropractic is the reigning champion “wassailmeister” from last year.
They can register early at either the Blissfield Village Office or the DDA/Main Street office at The Depot. Registration at the event takes place at Transcend Physical Therapy just south of Jefferson St. on Lane St. Participants will have to show identification for proof of legal drinking age as there is alcohol is most of the wassail served.
Other activities will be going on downtown during the event. The Boy Scouts will man warming fires on Lane Street. There will be snacks and hot chocolate provided at Squishy Tushy. The DDA/Main Street Christmas ornaments will be on sale at Squishy Tushy. The Bliss Liewert Senior Center will host a bake sale during the event. Several businesses will keep extended hours during the event.
After all the wassail is tasted votes can be turned and the winner will be announced at B-Town Bar & Grill at approximately 9 p.m. The Blissfield Rotary will also have their raffle drawing then at the same location. Both the Blissfield Model Railroad Club and the River Raisin Model Railroad both on E. Adrian Street will have open houses
Cost to participate is $12 and includes the one-of-a-kind American-made ceramic mug designed for the occasion. Pre-registration is encouraged.
For more information go to www.blissfieldmainsteet.com.
Wassail Stops
Bliss-Liewert Senior Center – nonalcoholic wassail
Blissfield Living
Michigan Extreme Outdoors
Bliss Yoga & Fitness also hosting Blissfield State Bank
B-Town Bar & Grill
Vin Haus
Tattered Gypsy
Blissfield General Store
Pack Rat
Bailey Family Chiropractic, also hosting TLC
Cakes ‘n Shakes
Coinciding with the Wassail Fest is the Third Annual Hot-Cha-Cha- 5K Mug Run. The run has grown to become one of the largest runs in Blissfield, and is punctuated by some runners in costume ranging from elves to the award-winning running Christmas tree in 2013. The run will take off from the decorated downtown and wind through the village neighborhoods south of US223, then wind up back downtown Where runners can enjoy wassail or hot chocolate. The race is sponsored by the Miss River Raisin Festival Scholarship Program and co-sponsored by Borchardt Brothers Market.
The first 150 runners are guaranteed to receive a mug that will allow them to enter the Wassail Fest tour of sites i downtown businesses. For n on-drinkers or runners under 21, an insulated cocoa mug will be provided for a mugful of hot chocolate or coffee. With the limited number of mugs available late registrations may receive an alternate mug if the Wassail mugs are sold out.
Runners are asked to wear reflective clothing for safety’s sake. Costumes of the season are welcome.
Same day registration begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Blissfield Township Office, 120 S. Lane St. Pre-registration is encouraged. Entries are available at The Advance, 121 Newspaper Street or can be downloaded at www.blissfield.net. Online registration is available at active.com. To be emailed a form, please e-mail advance@cass.net
Run price is $25 for those 16 and odder; $12 for kids 6-18; with a family rate of $60 (limit of two adults er family which must live in the same household: additional adults $25). Children 6-12 must run with an adult due to darkness.
The race steps off at 6:30 p.m. Awards will be given in seven separate age groups for both men and women. Awards for costumes will also be given after the run.
Saturday: Blissfield Parade of Lights presented by Anderson Rudd Funeral Home at 7 p.m.
Blissfield has waited two years for the annual Parade of Lights to bring its warm glow back to Lane Street. Last year’s event was canceled due to near blizzard-like conditions. But, this year looks very promising, event chairperson Randy Kelley said. The weather forecast is for 42 degrees and no snow in sight.
Kelley said parade-goers should expect an extremely festive event with more parade entries than were entered last year.
“The parade will be bigger than 2013,” he said.
The Blissfield High School Marching Band Muddy the Mud Toledo Mud Hens’ mascot and Paws, the Detroit Tigers Mascot, Miss River Raisin Festival, Jocelyn Near, will participate, along with several local businesses, farmers and other area folks. The list is so long in fact that Kelley said, “I’m not sure where to put them all” as they line up behind Blissfield High School.
The parade will start at the school and make its way up Lane Street and turn left on Lane Street to US 223 or a block and head down Giles Ave. back to the school.
The best seats in town will be in the 100 block of S. Lane Street where an announcer describe the parade entries as they march or drive by. Kelley said there might be a few surprises it he lineup and of course Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus will add some Christmas cheer to the event. Local businesses will also be open downtown until 8 p.m.
For more information visit www.blissfieldmainstreet.com
Other holiday activities Dec. 10-17
Thursday
6 p.m. Deerfield Elementary Holiday Performance
7 p.m. Blissfield High School Band and Choir Concert
Friday 6-8:30 p.m. Wassail Fest
6:30 p.m. Hot-Cha-Cha 5K Run
Saturday
10-4 p.m. River Raisin Valley Model Rail Road Open House and How To Clinics 115 E. Adrian St.
11-4 p.m. Blissfield Model Railroad Club Open House, 109 E Adrian St.
12-2 p.m. Santa Claus Visit at Deerfield Village Office sponsored by Deerfield Township Firefighters
7 p.m. Blissfield Parade of Lights – Downtown Blissfield
Sunday
9 a.m.-noon Deerfield American Legion Pancake Breakfast
3 p.m. Whiteford High School Christmas Concert
For more details, please pick up the Dec. 10, 2014, edition of The Advance which also includes the Winter Sports Preview section and a Community Calendar for your wall.Copyright 2014, River Raisin Publications, Inc.