Santa Claus comes to Belleville in Saturday’s Christmas Parade

   Santa Claus will arrive in Belleville on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, riding on the back of a fire truck at the tail end of the “Nostalgic Winter Wonderland” parade.

   The annual Christmas parade, put on by the Belleville-Area Chamber of Commerce, will begin at 6 p.m. at the Belleville High School parking lot and head east on W. Columbia Avenue to Five Points and then up Main Street to the museum, where Santa will disembark.

   Prizes of $50 will be awarded to parade units in two categories: Belleville area schools and all other groups which include clubs, organizations, churches, etc.

   After being presented with the key to the tri-community and lighting the City of Belleville Christmas Tree in front of the museum, Santa will head off to the First United Methodist Church to meet with children.

   An outdoor live nativity scene will also be at the Methodist Church to emphasize the real meaning of Christmas. Llamas from Sumpter Township will be playing the parts of camels at the creche.

   WinterFest 2009 events start early Saturday when ice sculptures from Ice Dream Sculptures of Plymouth are put in place throughout the downtown area. The ice sculptures are sponsored by local businesses and organizations.

   A demonstration of ice carving will take place in the Fourth Street Square at noon under the direction of Richard Teeple, certified culinary educator and executive chef at Henry Ford Community College.

   At 5 p.m., the Jingle Bell One-Mile Fun Run begins on and around Main Street, followed at 5:05 p.m. by the One-Mile Fund Walk.

   This event, which will start and finish at the corner of Main and Fourth Street next to the museum, will benefit the Van Buren Schools Education Foundation.

   Fees are $10 for adults and teenagers and $7 for children 12 and under. Both fees include jingle bells and glow stick. Awards will be presented to the Most Festive, Jingliest, Youngest, Oldest, and to the Overall Winner.

   Members of the BBC Striders will be wearing reflective vests and helping with the staging of the run and walk.

   A chili dinner will be put on at the BHS cafeteria beginning at 3 p.m., before the parade begins.

   After the lighted parade disbands at the museum, a fireworks display will be put on by Colonial Fireworks over Belleville Lake at about 7:30 p.m.

   The fireworks will be shot off from the Denton Road Bridge, with a Belleville fire truck on one end of the bridge and a Van Buren Township fire truck on the other end of the bridge as a safety measure.

   The bridge is expected to be closed to traffic from 6:30 to 8 p.m. for the fireworks.

VBT Arts & Crafts Show

   Also earlier in the day on Saturday, Van Buren Township’s annual Holiday Arts & Crafts Show will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The show will be held at the gymnasium, multi-purpose room, and dining hall at the Van Buren Township Hall. No entry fee.