Thanksgiving is now a not-so-distant memory, and my pants are quite a bit tighter. After spending Black Friday pulling down totes and decorating for Christmas, we’re ready for the holiday kick-off in our small town.  It’s Saturday, one month before Christmas, and here are 5 reasons you should be in Medina, NY:

  1. Small businesses always deserve more credit than they receive. When it comes to downtown Medina, these businesses are welcoming residents and out-of-town guests to step inside their doors, and we hope many support the incredible shops for Small Business Saturday. 
  2. It’s time to step up! A week ago, Andrew Szatkowski reached out to us about a toy drive he had been working on. Unlike ordinary toy drives, each donation enters you into a basket raffle of gifts from Medina businesses. Toys can be dropped off from 11am-10pm at Canalside Tattoo Company, but if you’re looking for more information, click here To Andrew and the local businesses helping to support this initiative, we’re slow clapping you, and can’t wait to participate! 
  3. There are two things I’ve been saying for years that Medina needs, and one is a tree lighting at the heart of Main Street. To our excitement, it’s happening! At 5:30pm, the new Medina Christmas Tree will be lighted by Grand Marshall Frank Berger in Rotary Park. 
  4. If supporting local businesses wasn’t enough, there’s an entire calendar of events happening throughout the day. From tea and mead tastings, to music, to a window decoration contest, you’re going to want several hours on Main Street. Here’s a full list of the day’s activities: http://www.christmasinmedina.com/schedule.htm.
  5. At 6pm, the Parade of Lights will illuminate our quaint village, and throngs of excited parade-goers will line the route and watch as an endless stream of business floats pass by. We’ll be bundled, hot chocolate in hand, eagerly awaiting Santa’s arrival in Medina.

Smiles, laughter, memories, and hope come together during Medina’s Olde Tyme Christmas – hope to see you there!