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A December to Remember: Castlegar Celebrates the Season with Community Events

November 15th, 2024

The City of Castlegar is excited to announce a series of festive community events this holiday season, including the return of the popular Winter Wonderland, free holiday movie screenings at Kootenay Centre Cinemas, and the Merry & Bright Holiday Display Contest.

Winter Wonderland – Saturday, Dec.7, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Winter Wonderland, a partnership between the City, Castlegar Rotary Club, Castlegar Sunrise Rotary and Trowelex, promises a magical experience for families and residents of all ages. This year’s event features:

  • Crafts and activities: Free craft stations hosted by sponsors.
  • Entertainment: Enjoy live music, face painting, a fishpond activity, and story time at the igloo provided by the Castlegar & District Public Library.
  • Food and refreshments: Warm up with complimentary hot dogs, nachos, hot chocolate, popcorn, s’mores and non-alcoholic mulled wine.
  • Meet Santa: Santa Claus will be available for photos (fee applies), and the day will end with the Christmas tree lighting at City Hall at 4 p.m.
  • Gingerbread house contest hosted by Habitat for Humanity. Learn more at hfhsebc.org.

Shuttle Service for Winter Wonderland

A shuttle service sponsored by Kootenay Charters Ltd. will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., transporting people between designated pick-up and drop-off locations:

Pick-up Locations:

  • Castlegar & District Community Complex (starting at 11 a.m.)
  • Pioneer Arena

Drop-off Location: Behind City Hall (last bus leaves just after 4 p.m.)

The shuttle will run approximately every 30 minutes, with the last shuttle leaving City Hall shortly after 4 p.m. More details on parking, road closures, and transportation will be provided at castlegar.ca/events and on our City Facebook page.

Free Holiday Movie Screenings – Saturday, December 7 – Doors open at 9 a.m.

Kootenay Centre Cinemas will host free holiday movie screenings as part of the festivities. Families can choose from two popular films to enjoy together:

  • Elf: Showtimes at 9:30 a.m., 9:45 a.m., and 10 a.m.
  • Wonka (2023): Showtime at 9:30 a.m.

Doors will open at 9 a.m. for both movies. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Follow Kootenay Centre Cinemas on Facebook for more details.

Merry & Bright Holiday Display Contest – Judging on Sunday, December 15

The Merry & Bright Holiday Display Contest, sponsored by Castlegar News, Mercer Celgar and FortisBC, invites residents to showcase their creative holiday displays. Judges will tour the city after dark on Sunday, December 15, and select the top displays for Best Overall and Most Creative.

  • To enter: Email your name and address to info@castlegar.ca to let us know you want your home added to the map. The first and second-place winners in the two categories will share $1,500 in gift certificates to local businesses.  Find a map with all entries at castlegar.ca/merryandbright.
  • Announcement: The winners will be announced in the Castlegar News on December 19.

For more information, visit castlegar.ca/events or follow the City of Castlegar on Facebook.

Sponsors

We extend our thanks to all our sponsors, including:

  • A&W Castlegar
  • Castlegar News
  • Castlegar Rotary Club
  • Castlegar Sunrise Rotary Club
  • Columbia Basin Trust
  • Columbia Power Corporation
  • Dirty Diggers
  • FortisBC
  • Kalesnikoff Lumber
  • Kootenay Charters Ltd

 

  • Kootenay Market
  • Kootenay Savings Credit Union
  • McDonald’s
  • Mercer Celgar
  • Safeway Castlegar
  • Shopper’s Drug Mart Castlegar
  • Steve’s No Frills Castlegar
  • StellarVista Credit Union
  • Trowelex

 

We also want to thank our table sponsors and crafters for helping bring the Winter Wonderland event to life:

  • Castlegar & District Public Library
  • Castlegar Arts Council
  • Castlegar Rotary Clubs
  • Circle of Indigenous Nations Society (COINS)
  • City of Castlegar
  • Communities in Bloom

 

  • EXP Realty
  • Francophone Group
  • Heaton-Sherstobitoff’s
  • Kalesnikoff Lumber
  • Shannan Laktin
  • West Kootenay Regional Airport

Categories: CommunityGeneral

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