The song “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” described Sunday afternoon in Hampshire as the first snowfall of the season arrived along with a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The Hampshire Area Chamber of Commerce, which presents the annual Santa Comes to Hampshire event at Hampshire Middle School, 560 S. State St., said there was an attendance of around 250 people at the event.
Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived at noon so they could have lunch with the children. They then moved to the school gym so they could pose for pictures with the kids on their laps while they listened to the children’s wish lists.
“This year’s event was bigger than ever,” said Loree Hendry, the chamber’s executive director. “We added a balloonist, a face painter and a jumpy house. We also added Christmas bingo with a prize for the adults and a prize for the children. There were 25 booths in our crafter and vendor market. Casa Vargas Mexican Restaurant in Hampshire sold food and beverages.”
The Hampshire 4-H Club’s petting zoo was the only outdoor activity.
Hampshire 4-H members Martin Burnidge, Evan Lehner, Tia Jackson and Kristina Drendel were on hand to show children a Holstein calf, Pastel call ducks, a Pekin duck, Buff Brahma chickens, two rabbits, a Nubian goat, an Alpine goat and a Babydoll lamb.
Entertainment on the middle school stage included Kitty Kat cheerleaders, Lisa’s School of Dance, Z’s Martial Arts of Huntley and Huntley High School singers Leslie Allen, Dani Bahn, Jason Trejo, Jacob Lopez, Josh Szezol, Katie Feeley and Bijan Arevalo.
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The Letheby interactive train set had five trains running at one time. Children pushed various buttons to make different objects move on the 8-by-16-foot train table.
Annual attendees of Santa Comes to Hampshire missed train enthusiast Jim Letheby, of Hampshire, who died in June. He set up and ran the trains with his wife, Rose Letheby, Hampshire Township’s assessor, and their family.
“With the passing of Jim, our family is continuing the tradition,” Letheby said. “We know how much kids really enjoy the trains.”
Denise Moran is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.