STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK
Come together for Bellevue’s Tree Lighting on Friday. Then check out Bellevue’s new Holiday Bazaar on Saturday.
The Tree Lighting will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 14, outside the Bellevue Historical Museum on Main Street. The actual lighting takes place at 6 p.m.
There’ll b a craft fair, music by Wood River High School’s Colla Voce girl’s choir, warm drinks and cookies and more family fun.
The Holiday Bazaar featuring hand-crafted items by Bellevue artists will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, at Studio 213 on Main Street Bellevue. Santa will drop in from 2 to 4 p.m. before heading up north for Sun Valley’s annual Tree Lighting at 6 p.m.
“There’ll be amazing unique Christmas gifts for everyone on your list. And loads of holiday cheer,” said Bellevue’s Mary Rau.
The events are collaborations between the Bellevue Artist Alliance, the non-profit Building Balanced Communities in Idaho, Studio 213 and the City of Bellevue.
“We are excited to be working together to bring more to Bellevue,” said Tammy Davis, newly elected council member and owner of the Studio 213 pottery and bead store.
“We even recently collaborated to write a grant with the Wood River Women’s Foundation to help advance the goals and objectives of the Bellevue Comp Plan and bring more art expression throughout our community. We plan on binging the Historical Society and Museum on board as a community partner and we have some exciting ideas planned for the new year with the new council and new mayor,” she added.
The City of Ketchum hosted its annual Christmas lighting this past week. Santa, who was last seen riding as grand marshal of the Wagon Days Parade, arrived in a fire truck and was immediately surrounded by a mob of children—and adults—despite frigid temperatures.
Children poured into an igloo set up on the Ketchum Town Square to write and deposit letters to Santa in a special red mailbox set up inside. And dozens more wandered through a maze of hay bales stacked higher than they.
The Colla Voce singers braved the cold to serve up some holiday songs as onlookers sipped warm mulled wine and cocoa and munched on frosted sugar cookies.
And, finally, Ketchum Mayor Neil Bradshaw coaxed Santa into flipping the giant light switch, making the start of the holiday season in Ketchum official.