Christmas Fest

ODESSA – The return of Christmas Fest to the Odessa Community Center on Dec. 1 was another sign that the local community is more than ready for a sense of normalcy to return. Vendors filled the building with all kinds of merchandise, much of it homemade. It also appeared that a larger percentage of the vendors were local residents this year. Perhaps staying home and riding out the pandemic gave folks a chance to find their inner artist, and Christmas Fest gave them a chance to share their creativity with others. Club parent Jennifer Lewis handled the task of signing up vendors.

The Odessa Junior Livestock 4-H Club once again sponsored the event. Between the club members themselves and their parents, they got everything into place by early Wednesday morning. A minor hiccup was the wait for food at lunch time, as the cooks were caught a bit off guard with the sudden onslaught of folks wanting burgers and hot dogs beginning at around 11:30 a.m. But the kitchen crew quickly organized a service throughput line that helped to speed things up. By 7 p.m. when the event was closed, head cook and club parent Matt Roberson reported that the club had cooked 379 hamburgers as well as quite a few hot dogs.

Piped-in music in the morning was replaced by live performances on the stage beginning at noon with the elementary chorus consisting of children in grades 1 – 4 under the direction of music teacher Sam Harder, who also provided their keyboard accompaniment. Other acts followed throughout the day, as shoppers came and went.

Santa arrived by fire truck in late afternoon to the delight of small children present (and quite a number of adults!). Santa ensconced himself in the public library at the front of the community center, which was also open all day for the event. Pictures with Santa were provided by Kayli (Smith) Maier Photography.