Santa's on his way to Christmas Village

"Every year Oak Harbor’s Soroptimists give the children of North Whidbey a special Christmas gift — a Christmas Village, alight with colorful decorations and such holiday favorites as Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, and a children’s zoo.Santa and Mrs. Claus are in attendance, too, to hear whispered wishes, and pose for holiday pictures, while toy trains race along the tracks through a Christmasy countryside.This will be the 18th year that the Soroptimists have erected the village and invited children and families to be their guests.The Village opens on Dec. 11 and 12, and continues from Dec. 16-23 in the Alaska Federal Credit Union parking lot just off Highway 20 in Oak Harbor at the Kmart corner. Village hours are: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.The An-O-Chords will sing on the opening day, and musical entertainment is planned for other days.The Christmas Village tradition began in 1982 at City Beach Park. In the years in between the Village has moved from the YMCA to the Senior Center, to the Girl Scout Haven in Neil Park.Where ever the Village goes, the children follow. Each year, about 3,000 children visit Santa and enjoy the holiday scenes.The Soroptimists give a number of other gifts to the community every year, in the form of projects such as the Christmas in July food drive for Help House, scholarships, support for Citizens Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse and Big Brothers/Big Sisters."

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