Mark Nov. 29 on your calendars. That’s when the Christmas season officially begins in the village with the opening of Downtown Lake Orion’s second annual Lighted Holiday Village.
Christmas lights in the downtown district will be will be turned on and patrons will hear the beginning of month-long festive holiday music broadcasts.
Special events this year include a welcome center at 38 South Broadway. It will be open from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on that Saturday. Holiday treats will be available from 2-4, 5-7.
Margaret Cobane will be signing and selling her ornament designs in the center from 10-12, 2-4 and 5-7 p.m. Cobane has designed a special 5 1/2 inch high hand blown glass Santacicle for the holiday.
It comes with a commemorative gold-tone metallic disc inscribed with “Downtown Lake Orion Lighted Holiday Village.” Each ornament will be signed by Cobane. The cost is $12 each with limited quantities available.
Purchases can be made at Jacobsen’s Flowers & Gifts on Lapeer Road or online at www.downtownlakeorion.org.
A tree lighting ceremony takes place at 4 p.m. in the gazebo in Children’s Park on South Broadway. An 18-foot fresh tree, sponsored by award winning Candy Cane Christmas Tree Farm in Oxford, will be installed on Broadway above the park to highlight the evening following a commemorative ceremony by MC Wes Fuelling.
Music teacher Kathy Zuziak from Stadium Drive and Blanche Sims Elementary School and her student choral groups will perform at the ceremony along with a brass ensemble from the North Oakland Concert Band and The Ebenezer Singers.
Santa will appear at the lighting ceremony and will visit with children in the Welcome Center from 5-7 p.m.
Downtown Lake Orion is also hosting an online Holiday Tree Auction on E-Bay. Up for auction is a beautifully decorated, prelighted, 7 1/2 foot high artificial tree sponsored by Margaret Cobane Original Designs, the Cobane Wallace Group and Jacobsen’s’s Flowers.
Jacobsen’s designers have decorated the tree with over 150 hand blown and spun glass ornaments from the Margaret Cobane 2003 Collection. Ornaments include santas, snowmen, icicles, snowflakes and stars. The estimated value of the tree is $1,800.
Interested bidders for this decorated tree can view it on Downtown Lake Orion’s website or at Jacobsen’s, located at 545 Lapeer Road in Lake Orion.
Opening bid for the tree is $250. The auction ends Dec. 5, 5 p.m. The winning bidder will be notified by email and phone and announced at the LO Holiday Parade on Dec. 6
For those who don’t have a computer and need help with bidding, complete bidding instructions, online services and help are available at the Orion Township Library on Joslyn Road and the Orion Township Senior Center on Church Street.
Proceeds from the Downtown Lake Orion Holiday Ornament sale and the auction benefit Downtown Lake Orion, a Main Street Community member, National Trust for Historic Preservation.