Madisyn Woodring – The Gazette
LIVERPOOL TWP. — The Valley City community is coming together to spread the holiday spirit through its upcoming Christmas in the Valley celebration.
The event will kick off on Dec. 13, with most events taking place on Dec. 14. Valley City Community Group Director of Marketing Mary Lou Czajka said the event is free with something for all ages to do.
Christmas in the Valley begins with a community sing-along at 6 p.m. Dec. 13 at Emmanuel United Church of Christ at 6656 Center Road. Everyone is invited to sing Christmas carols alongside local choirs.
The event will resume at 10 a.m. Dec. 14 with a 5K and a 1 mile fun walk in which participants are encouraged to dress up for the holiday. Awards will be given for race categories along with best-dressed runner and best-dressed dog.
State Route 303 in Valley City will be closed starting at 10 a.m. Dec. 14 with a marked detour. There will be free parking options available in the area, and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at 1377 Lester Road will have a shuttle service starting at 11:30 a.m.
Holiday markets will be open downtown from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 14 and feature arts, crafts and food. The Kids Zone at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall will be open for games and crafts and Mrs. Claus will read Christmas stories in the former Valley City town hall throughout the afternoon.
The annual chili cook-off will be at the fire station, where guests can try entries and vote for the people’s choice award winner, with judging occurring at halftime of the Cleveland Browns game. There will also be a beer tent, basket raffles and opportunities to win prizes at the fire station.
The parade will start at 12:30 p.m. on Dec. 14 and travel east along state Route 303 to the train depot. The Buckeye High School marching band will escort Santa Claus in the parade to the depot museum. Santa will then be at the depot from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The Valley City Community Group put lights on the bridge near downtown Valley City for the holidays, Czajka said. Downtown businesses and residents are also participating in the “Light Up the Valley” Christmas decorating contest.
“We wanted the local downtown merchants to add to the hope, joy and warmth of the season, along with a sense of belonging,” she said.
Saturday is the last day to enter the decorating contest. For more information on how to enter the contest and to see the schedule and event map, visit valleycity.org.
“Christmas in the Valley is important for us to bring a bit of nostalgia and old-fashioned fun to the community,” Czajka said. “No matter what your beliefs are, we want to provide a little light and happiness to families during this time of year.”
Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.