There were Christmas carols, candles, hot chocolate and community spirit in abundance last night at the third annual Community Tree Lighting Ceremony at Variety Village, hosted by Ward 36 Councillor Gary Crawford.
More importantly for the little ones, Santa Claus made his first appearance in Birch Cliff this year, checking off the names of boys and girls he’ll be visiting on Christmas Eve.
It really was a lovely evening as you can see from our photo gallery:
This was the third annual tree lighting ceremony at Variety Village organized by Ward 36 Councillor Gary Crawford
The crowd of a couple hundred people enjoyed singing Christmas carols.
St. Paul's United Church Choir performed a selection of songs.
The band from Neil McNeil High School was also on hand.
The performance by the Birch Cliff Public School choir included the song "Love in Any Language", performed with sign language.
7-year old Garrett was enjoying a snuggle with a "Puggle" puppy.
This little guy was happy to be up past his bedtime.
Jamey and Ryan from the 6th Toronto Cub Pack were handing out candles.
Variety Village made a point of thanking Councillor Crawford for his support. Crawford organized the event and last month his band Clamshell Quintet raised $12,000 for Variety Village.
The highlight of the evening was, of course, Santa Claus!
The evening ended with the lighting of the giant Christmas tree. Every time I drive by on the Danforth and see the tree, I'll be reminded of the light within our community.
