Laconia's Christmas Village creates holiday magic for half a century

LACONIA — The volunteers who organize Christmas Village have given children and families of the Lakes Region 50 years of holiday cheer.

Christmas Village began in 1975. Originally inspired by Santa’s Village in Bristol, as a way to tell the story of Noah’s Ark, it’s become an annual tradition in the city and cherished by the masses.

It’s run entirely by volunteers, who work most of the year to organize it and make the necessary preparations. Many of them have been involved for decades, some since they were just children, and their team transforms the Laconia Community Center on Union Avenue into a striking approximation of the North Pole and Santa’s workshop. 

And it’s all free. 

Children can meet Santa Claus, who this year was relaxing jubilantly alongside his wife, Mrs. Claus. Every child receives a gift and has the chance to mingle with the elves, play games, get their faces painted, make crafts, and address letters to Santa himself. 

This year, Christmas Village opened on Thursday night according to tradition: the exchange of keys to the proverbial kingdom. City of Laconia Mayor Charlie St. Clair received the keys to Christmas Village from its mayor, Rudy Hawkins. 

“We are so lucky to have such a dedicated volunteers to put on [Christmas] Village, it’s just an incredible thing,” St. Clair said on Thursday evening in the heart of Christmas Village, freshly decorated with holiday accoutrement. “This is an honor that I will treasure for the rest of my life.”

On Sunday morning, volunteers welcomed individuals who needed sensory accommodations and, in the early afternoon, the general public. Dozens of elves were dressed and waiting inside the community center just before 2 p.m., as the first visitors made their way to the village.

Volunteer Pete Drouin is in charge of general construction for Christmas Village. He started giving his time 35 years ago. 

“A lot of volunteers, it takes a lot of volunteers,” Drouin said Sunday. They’ve got a dedicated group, he said, and can always use more. It takes him and other volunteers about three weeks to finish construction. This year, some of the scenery artwork was started over the summer.

“It can actually be an all-year project,” he said. 

It’s the impact on kids that makes it all worth it for Drouin. 

“When you see the smiling faces of the kids when they come in,” he said. “Something magical happens every year.”

Emily Courson is a volunteer and board secretary, she’s in charge of coordinating all of the characters and costumes. Since her first year in high school, Courson has spent 11 years assisting in the event. Costumes are her specialty.

“You don’t want me with a hammer,” she said with a laugh on Sunday afternoon.

The board has monthly meetings January through November. Many of the costumes are as old as the event itself. Preparations really start ramping up about two months in advance.

“We will be adding some new ones next year,” she said.

This year, she coordinated about 50 teen volunteers who acted as elves at Christmas Village. Some of them were participating for the first time, others had volunteered in years past. 

When Courson and her family moved to Laconia, Christmas Village proved a lifeline for her parents during the holidays. 

“Every kid leaves with a toy,” she said. “We bring the magic of the North Pole to Laconia.” 

“A lot of people don’t see much kindness anymore, and this proves that we can be nice to people,” she said. “It’s very special.”

Sunday afternoon, in the final hours of this year’s Christmas Village, the event was well-attended. A line queued out the door, and children and families spent considerable time participating in the activities. 

“I’m a floater, I help wherever,” Lori Lambert said. She’s been volunteering for three years, and got involved after her daughter Amelia served the village as an elf.

“Seeing the kids' faces, being excited,” she said when asked what she enjoys most. “I think it means a lot, because it also shows the kids the community can come together as a team and support each other.” 

The magic of Christmas Village isn’t new for Kylie Sanville, vice chair of the board. She said if they can help children smile, “then our mission is accomplished.” She’s been on the board for three years, and a volunteer for 10. Her mother, Deborah Sanville, ran Toys for Tots for many years. 

“This was my way of carrying on her legacy,” Sanville said. “It means the world, not just to me.” 

Children and families, upon entering the upstairs portion of Christmas Village, were greeted by a gaggle of elves singing their rendition of "Jingle Bells" by James Lord Pierpont, a Christmas standard. When they finished, they parted a curtain and visitors navigated Santa’s Way, Christmas Avenue and Toy Land Road.

“Especially in our community, this event is significant because, for many families, this is what they rely on for Christmas,” Sanville said.