Solanco townlively.com
DECEMBER 6, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
A Quarryville Christmas tradition BY ADRIAN ESCHENWALD
ast year, Michelle Evans of the Quarryville Borough Authority approached borough manager Scott Peiffer with an idea she had been dreaming of for years: a Christmas celebration that would bring the entire community together. Peiffer liked the idea, and he helped Evans start a committee of volunteers to get the ball rolling on the inaugural Christmas in Q-ville, which was held in December 2022. The holiday event featured a wide variety of festive activities for children and adults alike, and it was met with an overwhelmingly positive response from local residents. The only issue encountered by the borough was that Christmas in Q-ville was far more popular than it had anticipated. “We were ecstatic to have such a good turnout, having never hosted it before,” Peiffer said. “We thought we would see 1,000 guests at most, but more than 4,000 people showed up.” On Saturday, Dec. 9, Christmas in Q-ville will return to the Solanco Fairgrounds, 101 Park Ave., Quarryville. From 2 to 7 p.m., the fairgrounds will be animated once more with holiday activities such as pony rides, s’mores roasting, barrel train rides, Christmas movie screenings, a petting zoo, and a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Live entertainment will be provided throughout the day by the Flipside Big Band, Ian Carroll Trio, Octorara High School Senior Brass, Solanco Student Singers and multiple other groups. Attendees may drop off nonperishable food items in the Hess’s BBQ Pavilion to be entered in a prize drawing. Donations will support Solanco Neighborhood Ministries’ food bank. Although the celebration will
Retracing the path to the Nativity BY ADRIAN ESCHENWALD
Mechanic Grove Church of the Brethren, 1392 Robert Fulton Highway, Quarryville, will host its fourth annual Journey to the Nativity re-enactment on Saturday, Dec. 16, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. As guests arrive, they will be greeted by a church member, who will give an introduction to the re-enactment. After the introduction, guests will be directed to a gathering area to wait for the start of the journey. After guests are assigned to a group, they will have an opportunity to share cider, members portray shepherds for hot chocolate, cookies and Church last year’s Journey to the Nativity. Christmas stories indoors. A new group will travel down the a child. After the Annunciation, Mary, Joseph and their donkey path every 18 minutes. Each group will be lead through will embark on their journey to the re-enactment by a guide. The Bethlehem. Spectators will follow first stop on the path will depict the the Holy Family through their subangel Gabriel’s announcement to sequent travels, which will conclude Mary and Joseph that they will bear with the portrayal of the Nativity. See Live Nativity pg 12
Photo provided by Andrew C. Albright Santa Claus will make another appearance during this year’s Christmas in Q-ville.
feature many of the same community-favorite activities as last year, the planning committee has added a few new attractions to the already tightly packed schedule, including a carousel to offer rides throughout the day. This year, the event will also introduce a holiday cookie contest from 2 to 4 p.m. To enter the contest, participants must deliver one dozen cookies on a disposable plate to Building 7. Each submission must include the contestant’s name, age, phone number, email address and cookie name. A panel of judges will review the cookies at 4 p.m., and the winners will be announced at 5 p.m. A
first-place winner will be chosen for the adult and youth categories, and both winners will receive a prize. After witnessing the popularity of the first event, Peiffer has made a few adjustments to Christmas in Q-ville this year to improve attendees’ experience. Food vendors are stocking up to avoid running low on refreshments, and activity placement has been rearranged to better suit large crowds. “I’m excited to see how the changes work out. I think people will be able to relax more and get to take advantage of more activities,” Peiffer said. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/qvillexmas23.
A county-wide call to help neighbors in need BY ADRIAN ESCHENWALD
As winter rolls around each year, food banks and community outreach programs across the country are often met with a stark increase in the demand for their services. While the holiday season is a time of celebration for many, the cold weather and additional expenses that accompany this time of year can prove challenging for others. To combat this seasonal challenge, Water Street Mission launched its
annual food drive on Nov. 1, and the organization is once again calling on Lancaster County residents to band together in support of their neighbors. “We already started to see an increase in demand for our programs in September, and we’re expecting another influx as the months get colder,” said Matt Clement, director of marketing for Water Street Mission. “We didn’t quite meet our goal last year, but we’re thankful that we got close. It really helped us make it See Food drive pg 2
400 Long Lane at Marticville Road (Rt. 741 & 324)
717-872-9311 www.cherryhillorchards.com
• Trees • Wreaths • Garland • Greens more ffor your d decorating! a PLUS lots Mon.-Sat. 8-6
R102234
Picture Perfect
PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Engle Printing Co
POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER DEC. 6, 2023
Postal Patron
SOL
L
VOL LX • NO 33