Village of Monroe, Town of Blooming Grove -A crowd grew at the front entrance to Monroe Village on Saturday morning, a little before 10am, hoping to see the exciting arrival of Santa Claus from the North Pole via a helicopter. A stubborn fog started to lift, and visitors were told there was a bit of a delay, but Santa would be there by 10:30. The sky indeed cleared a bit and everyone got excited while listening to the Monroe-Woodbury drum team and watching a troop of Elves and children do impromptu dancing.
Team of Monroe Elves
A Grinch, looking for trouble
Toddler tries out what may be her very first dance steps.
Bffs
Brother and Sister Time
Passing time to the tune of Monroe-Woodbury Drum Team
About two dozen children played and talked about Santa and Christmas while parents clung to a few toddlers wanting to go exploring. But at 10:30 there still was no Santa. Tim Mitts announced another delay and asked the crowd's patience. Plan B went into action with the crowd understanding that the fog had come back down and it would simply not be safe to fly in via helicopter. They and the children showed some good Christmas spirit by being patient until Santa and Mrs. Claus came strolling in a brisk walk through the back entrance, having been delivered by a team of stunning White Horses.
The delay certainly did not put Santa in a bad mood, because when driving his sleigh with Rudolph they often run into weather issues. But this time he said it was too dangerous for Rudolph to fly. The crowd commented how handsome Santa was, and when they arried he instantly gave hi-fives and hugs as one by one and then in twos and threes they approached, becoming less timid with every step. Within a minute he was surrounded by gleeful little ones. Santa quickly became the Hero of the day, and after a nice long visit an escort headed out with him and Mrs. Claus to Gilbert and then High Street where the Grinch continued with refreshments, a surprise visit from the Grinch, and continued the festivities at Rest Haven, a historic residence where Helen Keller helped develop programs during the early 1900's for Summer visitors who were blind.
The day was a beautiful example of turning a small disappointment into a joyous adventure, with several wee folk having their first or second Santa and Christmas experience with wide eyes, parents building timeless bonds with each other and their children, and youngsters and teens growing friendship bonds that will last a lifetime.
Santa and Mrs. Claus clearly had a good time as well, with some jolly laughs, new stories, and memories of children's happy faces to bring back to the North Pole.
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The event is sponsored annually by Preservation of Rest Haven, Inc., the Village of Monroe and the Town of Blooming Grove, Community Connections, Monroe-Woodbury Music, Monroe Lion Club, Pine Crest Bungalow Colony, Independent Helicopters Inc., Bourbon Street Bar & Grill, and the Marine Corps
Rest Haven Historic House in the Village of Monroe
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