Fostoria will officially kick off the Christmas season with a flurry of events beginning Friday, December 2 which kicks of the Downtown Fostoria Holiday Open House weekend and a season of holiday happenings throughout the community.

A Downtown Fostoria Stuff Your Stocking Shopping Event will take place Friday, December 2 between 5:30 and 8 p.m. to coincide with the 6:30 p.m. Tree Lighting on the Municipal Building Lawn and the first evening of the Fostoria Proud Christmas Card Display in Market Square Park.  The shopping event will include 11 participating businesses at which shoppers may pick up a red Christmas stocking stuffed with contest rules and a chance to win a gift card from one of the participating businesses.  Shoppers may travel from participating business to business stuffing their stockings with holiday goodies and coupons.  Any shopper who spends $100 or more during the shopping event, may bring receipts to the Chamber office by December 8 and will be entered to win a Fostoria Basket with a value of $100.  Businesses participating in the event are Red’s Pizza, Savvy Hair Expressions, Beyond Laser Creations, Second Wind Music Center, American Legion, The UrbanWoody Brewery & The HoneyBee Winery, Flippin’ Jimmy’s, Thistle Exchange, Java’s Enchanted Bean, Downtown ReEVENTed and Power Up.  A complete list of participating businesses, contest rules and more details may be found on the Chamber website, www.fostoriachamber.com/stuff-your-stocking

 

On Saturday, December 3 the Fostoria Area Chamber of Commerce will host the Holiday Sip & Shop at the Fostoria Learning Center which will include 45 unique vendors and food from OTR Smokehouse.  The Holiday Sip & Shop runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. with free admission.  Also beginning at 10 a.m., the Fostoria Eastern Star Chapter will host Breakfast with Santa until 12:30 p.m. at the Fostoria Masonic Center.  The cost is $5.00 per person.  They will also be collected new, unwrapped toys to be donated to a child in need.  From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Downtown ReEvented will host Cookies with the Clauses at Hope Lutheran Church, 151 W. Center St.  Reservations are suggested and a donation of a new, unwrapped toy is requested to attend.  Toys collected will be donated to Toys for Tots and used during A Christmas for Every Child in Fostoria.   At 1:30 p.m. The Fostoria Rotary Club will host the Annual Rotary Christmas Parade which will travel down Main Street.  Throughout the day, local businesses will be hosting holiday specials and the Chamber is encouraging shoppers to support small and local businesses when making their holiday purchases all season long.

 

For the 15th year, Fostoria Rail Preservation will host Santa at the Depot immediately following the parade and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 2 p.m. from November 29 through December 22.   FPRS will also host two Santa’s Wine & Cheese Tastings.  The first will be held Friday, December 2 and the second will be held Saturday, December 3.  Both will take place at the LE&W Depot, 128 W. North Street from 7-10 p.m.  Tickets are available by calling 419-435-1781. 

The Fostoria Community Arts Council is also encouraging the spread of holiday cheer with their “Light Up Fostoria” contest.  The contest judges submitted homes outside lighting and décor displays.  Decorations must be up by Monday, December 12 and stay lit until January 2 from 6-11 p.m.  Eligible homes must be located in the 44830 zip code and be officially submitted to the Arts Council via Facebook, email: fostoriaarts@gmail.com or by calling 419-436-2787 by December 10.  The first place winner will receive $100, second place $50 and third place $25.

 

For a list of things to see and do in Fostoria, visit www.FostoriaChamber.com.