Caldwell becomes Christmas wonderland with Santa's reindeer, decorations and activities

Heather Sevigny
·2 min read

CALDWELL − Tucked away in the rolling hills of Noble County with its gorgeous countryside and friendly people, Caldwell is exactly the place you can imagine finding that quintessential, tourist-filled, Hallmark-esque Christmas town.

And that's exactly what the village strives for, according to Mayor Misti Well. "A Village Christmas to Remember has far exceeded our expectations. The number of people that our events have brought in from out of town has been remarkable."

"A Village Christmas to Remember," the annual holiday celebration, has grown over the last few years and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. The village was even featured on the Fox8 News One Tank Trips special this month.

Rudy B., a 4-year-old male reindeer, takes a break from visiting with people in Caldwell as part of the Village Christmas to Remember holiday celebration.
Rudy B., a 4-year-old male reindeer, takes a break from visiting with people in Caldwell as part of the Village Christmas to Remember holiday celebration.

Events have been happening all month long, including carriage rides, visits with Santa Claus, live music, parades and more. Thursday evening, as crowds flocked to the square, a visit from two of Santa's reindeer was the main attraction.

Managed by the Sell's Christmas Tree and Reindeer Farm in Wakeman, Ohio, the reindeer were a hit with the crowd. Rudy B, a 4-year-old male with a towering set of antlers, and Cherry, a sweet-natured, 6-year-old female captured the hearts of all who visited. Lucky visitors were able to feed a sweet slice of apple to Cherry as she came to the fence for pets and snacks. Ruby B opted to stand his ground and use his antlers to rattle the fence when someone came close.

Colorful lines of gumdrops illuminated pathways around the Noble County courthouse during the Village Christmas to Remember celebration.
Colorful lines of gumdrops illuminated pathways around the Noble County courthouse during the Village Christmas to Remember celebration.

The reindeer were only able to stay for two hours, as they had much preparation for the for Christmas Eve. Once visitors had visited with the reindeer, many took the time to wander throughout the square enjoying other festivities.

Shull's Kettle Corn Company was selling hot bags of freshly popped corn, while numerous food trucks sold hot cocoa and coffee. Emily's Sweets was on hand, selling a deluxe version of hot cocoa that came topped with a Little Debbie Christmas tree cake, a candy cane or salted caramel.

Children ran around the square playing tag in between glowing snowmen and Santa Claus, as a costumed Rudolph pranced around giving hive fives and hugs. Parents waited with their children, eager to get a chance to tell their last-minute wishes to the big guy himself as a horse-drawn carriage took visitors for rides around the square.

Reindeer visit the Caldwell Square as part of the Village Christmas to Remember celebration being held all month long.
Reindeer visit the Caldwell Square as part of the Village Christmas to Remember celebration being held all month long.

Activities are scheduled throughout the holiday season, with a breakfast with the Grinch planned and the holiday home decorating contest still ongoing. Mayor Wells states, "The Small Town, Big Dreams non-profit, volunteer group knocked it out of the park once again. Next year will be our fifth year and we definitely plan to go big!"

For the complete schedule of events visit the Village Christmas to Remember Facebook page or visit https://caldwellohio.org and search under the events tab.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: "A Village Christmas to Remember" brings reindeer to Caldwell