After an extensive break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ontonagon’s Hometown Christmas is back.

The weekend event has been made possible by dozens of businesses, individuals and organizations working together. Those looking for fun, food and holiday shopping – all done in a small hometown Christmas fashion – should head to Ontonagon this weekend.

Heritage House Antiques will host an open house today with specials for everyone in the family, including the kids with four paws.

Ontonagon’s Hometown Christmas Committee will be all over town today. The VFW pancake breakfast runs from 7:30 to 11 a.m.

As one of the committee volunteers states with a huge smile, “The popular Christmas craft fair at the school runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thanks to the chamber! Holy Family Catholic Church Children’s Time where kids accompanied by an adult will be making crafts, decorating cookies and playing games. That is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.”

Then with a smile as big as Santa’s waistline, she says, “the Reindeer Run (and in a quieter tone), poker run, is back from 3 to 9 p.m.”

Registration for that event is from 3 to 5 p.m. at the VFW, unopened envelopes are to be returned by 9 p.m. at the VFW. Maximum of 120 people, after posting a $10.00 registration fee, get to play. From 4 to 9 p.m., the Squeeze on Main will offer a pizza buffet.

An old-fashioned holiday tradition of trimming the village Christmas tree at the RICC Park will go from 6:30 to 8 p.m. today. Attendees are asked to bring a shatterproof ornament. Aspirus Ontonagon will provide refreshments. Go to Peninsula Graphics to get on the bus as On Tran will be offering hayrides.

The lantern-lit snowshoe hike will start at 7 p.m. tonight at the RICC Park proceed to Rose Island and return to the park. Halfway along, there will be a campfire and refreshments, sponsored by RICC, Village Recreation Commission and Dandelion Gifts.

Ontonagon’s Hometown Christmas includes the high school dance from 9 p.m. to midnight today in the Cafeteria and sponsored by Operation Graduation. Those out of high school can have their own fun, the Snowball Dance Record Hop at the Eagles Club from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The fun continues Sunday. Buy a pound of cookies at Holy Family Catholic Church between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to help with fuel assistance programs.

Parents are encouraged to have the kids take part in the children’s snowshoe seek-and-find hike. They will leave the RICC Park at 11 a.m., halfway will have a campfire and refreshments waiting, and return to the RICC Park. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

The “Village of Parades” has its hometown Christmas parade Sunday evening.

Individuals, families and businesses participating in this popular parade are asked to line up at 5 p.m. at the old school on Parker Avenue. Paradegoers should be downtown by 5:30 p.m. for the start of the procession. Warm up before the parade with a free hot chocolate from The Squeeze at 5.

“Once again, we will have our radar tracking the Sky to the North for any unidentified flying object,” stated another Ontonagon Hometown Christmas committee member. “Now if it is Santa, we have a reserved spot at the fire hall to meet with the children. He does have to leave by 7 p.m., according to Mrs. Claus.”

Santa will be at the fire hall after the parade. After all, the kids have had a chance to meet with Santa, the winners of the various events will be announced.

“Over 50 individuals, organizations and businesses have come together to bring Ontonagon’s Hometown Christmas back. We really want to thank all of them and encourage people from all over to experience what a small hometown Christmas celebration is…that is the true spirit of the season,’ concluded another one of the volunteers on the Ontonagon Hometown Christmas committee.