To the Editor:

We hark back to 40 years ago when we came up with the idea of Canton’s “Annual Holiday of Lights” festival and highlighting Santa Claus’ visit with hundreds of area children in the Canton village park in the middle of Canton.

The idea of the little white twinkling lights on Canton’s Main Street trees originally came to us from childhood visits to Chicago’s Michigan Avenue and the year around white lights on both sides of that famous thoroughfare.

Then our first volunteer committee of elves added the lights on the red-ribboned wreaths on Main Street lamp posts. Then came Santa’s visit from the North Pole to hundreds of area children with Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer dancing and posing for photos in Canton’s village park.

This is the first year back to our full-fledged Holiday of Lights event in a couple of years since the Covid pandemic kept us inside.

Once again there were a myriad of generous people, businesses and organizations who helped make “Holiday of Lights” possible this year with their in-kind and monetary donations. We thank Rev. Michael Catanzaro of Canton’s First Presbyterian Church who opened the church and members who served hot chocolate, cookies and doughnuts to the community.

Second to none were the Village Superintendent Tim Bacon’s DPW crew members who put up all the lights and wreaths, especially Kyle Ames and Donnie Doerr, backed up by long-time trouble shooter Dave Ragan.

We greatly appreciated the terrific last minute substitute carol leader and soloist Maria Tartagalia, Canton High School senior, who filled in this year for her friend Diane Foote. And Marcus Alvarez was there with his carol music and sound system.

Also thanked are the ever-reliable Canton Volunteer Fire Department members and families whose flaming torches lighted Santa’s way to his seat on stage from Monica Stone’s sleigh on wheels pulled by her two Percheron horses and led to the park by a Canton Police escort up Main Street with siren and flashing red light.

On behalf of our current fellow “Holiday of Lights” committee members Phyllis Howard, Carol Johnson and Joyce Lilholt, we are grateful to all at the start who have helped lead our role model decor and event for a number of other North Country communities over the years.

Brad and Marilyn I. Mintener
Canton