By Bill Petzold
Editor
CARO — Gingerbread cookies are usually considered a dessert item, so it seems only fitting that this year’s Gingerbread Village Festival begins with the main course at a Taste of Caro.
“It’s really kind of a kickoff for the holiday season social event,” organizer Dolly Jones said. She is co-chair of Taste of Caro with Pete O’Brien, owner of P.J. O’Brien’s Catering and Party Rental.
“The first time we did it, we thought people would eat and leave, but they also mingle and visit with their friends,” Jones said. “That’s what’s special about this event.”
Eight Caro-area businesses will be on hand for the event, which allows attendees to sample the cuisine offered by local restaurants. The Brentwood, 178 Park Drive in Caro, will host the event from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday.
“Ken Beachy from the Brentwood provides us with the location in the back room, and P.J. O’Brien does all the linens and table decorations,” said Dolly Jones.
This year’s participants include The Brentwood, J.J. Jamokes, P.J. O’Brien’s, Caro Big Boy, The Oven, the culinary arts class from Tuscola Technology Center, The Garden Gate Bed and Breakfast and Mancino’s.
“The cost is $10 per person, and for $10 you get eight tickets. You can use those tickets to purchase food or two tickets for a glass of wine,” Jones said. “Any leftover tickets you have, you can put your name on the back of the ticket to win a door prize.
Jones said that door prizes include a free round of golf for two people with a cart at Caro Golf Course, a free pizza from The Oven and a family fun bowling and pizza package from The Brentwood.
This year’s event also will include a silent auction, the proceeds of which — as well as a portion of door receipts — will benefit the Great Start Tuscola Imagination Library.
Tickets will be sold at the door only. For information, call Dolly Jones at (989) 673-6807 or the Brentwood at 673-2330.
St. Paul Lutheran to host Gingerbread events
Once you’ve had a taste of Caro, St. Paul Lutheran Church, 503 S. State St., invites you to have all you can eat.
The congregation will host a sweet sale and luncheon beginning at 10 a.m. Friday.
Congregation member Vicki Reinbold said the sweet sale — which will offer traditional German Christmas treats like springerle cookies and lebkuchen — runs from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., with an all-you-can-eat lunch served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. featuring homemade soup, sandwiches and dessert. Lunch is $7.
“We’ve done this I don’t know how many years,” Reinbold said. “I’ve been coming here eight years and it’s quite renowned. Lunch is $7. There’s cheesy potato soup, beef vegetable, chicken noodle and bean soup, and they’re all homemade. We’ll have egg salad, ground bologna and tuna sandwiches, and then we have this giant sweet sale.”
The congregation of St. Paul also invites the public to join them for “Ring the Bells: A Christmas Concert” at 4 p.m. Sunday, December 8.
“We’re featuring our music ministry of St. Paul Lutheran Church: our vocal choir, handbell choir, brass and organ, ensembles, soloists and congregational singing,” Reinbold said. “Part of the ensembels are our contemporary music, (which plays) guitars and pianos.”
St. Paul’s choirs are directed by Mrs. Junanne Kern, with accompaniment provided by pianist Ruth Kilburn-Doxey.
For information, call St. Paul Lutheran Church at (989) 673-4214
Friday, December 6
Gingerbread Central, your source for Gingerbread information, opens at 5 p.m. at 260 North State Street — the use of which has been donated by the Tuscola County Democratic Party — as the Gingerbread House Penny Vote Competition begins.
The Gingerbread Family — Fred, Ginger, Cookie and Snap — will escort Santa and Mrs. Claus to Caro for the lighting of the Christmas Tree at 6 p.m. Once the holiday lights are shining, families may have pictures taken with Santa for free from 6:30 to 8 p.m. courtesy of AAA Insurance’s Amanda Langmaid and Cindy Schlaud. The Sacred Heart Men’s Choir will perform from roughly 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., after which winners of the Gingerbread Scavenger Hunt winners from Small Business Saturday will be announced.
Weather permitting, Bullet Auto will offer carriage rides from 6:30 to 9 p.m. through a warmly lit downtown, as downtown shops will stay open late for Christmas shoppers. Stores will offer special deals, and area artists and musicians also will be performing at select stores during the Artist and Musician walk.
Saturday, December 7
Christmas shopping will be hosted from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Saturday, December 7.
From 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., families can stop by the Thumb Area Center for the Arts, 102 Joy Street, for Lunch with Santa and Friends.
The Caro Roadhouse Museum, 235 S. Almer St., will host an open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. At 1 p.m., The Strand Theatre, 101 South State Street, invites the public for a free matinee showing of the movie Turbo (rated PG). Doors open at noon.
The Caro Area District Library hosts “Tales of a Victorian Christmas” at 1:30 p.m. Caro-based radio station Mix 92.1 FM will setup a live remote broadcast from the event between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m.
Having completed their lunch, Santa, Mrs. Claus and the Gingerbread Family will pay a visit to Gingerbread Central from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
The Kiwanis Club will host two Candy Cane 9-pin no-tap tournaments at the Brentwood beginning at 4 and 7 p.m. The Caro Community Hospital Endowment Foundation Ball begins at 7 p.m., and the Gingerbread Jam starts at 8 p.m. at Arrowhead Golf Club. All proceeds from the Gingerbread Jam go to the Good Samaritan Food Bank.
Sunday, December 8
On Sunday, the Roadhouse Museum will offer another Open House from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Quarter Mania Auction begins at 1 p.m. at TACA, and Kiwanis Kraft Time with Magical Mister Mullin and his imaginary friends is set for 2 to 4 p.m.
At 4 p.m., St. Paul Lutheran Church will host its “Ring The Bells” Christmas concert.
Monday, December 9
Gingerbread Central will host children’s field trips from 8:30 a.m. to noon Monday, which will continue from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday as well. Health screenings will be offered from 1 to 3 p.m., and TACA will host a Community Christmas Concert at the First Presbyterian Church beginning at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, December 11
Health screenings will be offered from noon to 2 p.m., and then contest winners will be announced beginning at 5 p.m.
Winners of the Gingerbread House Penny Vote, Store Front Facade and Holiday Coloring Contest will be announced at Gingerbread Central. The center will close at 6 p.m., marking the end of this year’s celebration.
For information about events, visit carochamber.org/gingerbread.php or call the Chamber of Commerce office at (989) 673-5211.