Port Clinton welcomes visitors to Community Christmas

Melissa Baker
·2 min read

PORT CLINTON – The Community Christmas for Port Clinton, which took place Saturday, brought the community together while enjoying the holidays and Christmas activities.

Among the activities were cookie decorating, ornament decorating, and making pinecone ornaments. Other activities included face painting, a visit with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, a chili cook-off contest, and a best holiday window design competition.

Santa and Mrs. Claus hold twins Lily and Ellie Brooks.
Santa and Mrs. Claus hold twins Lily and Ellie Brooks.

The chamber of commerce provided a flyer for each location hosting an activity. Visitors then could attend each activity and try a sample of chili, hot chocolate, or apple cider.

Port Clinton businesses offer hot chocolate and more

One stop listed on the flyer was the Fredricks Agency building, which again for the seventh year hosted its famous hot chocolate bar. This hot chocolate bar had candy, sprinkles, gummies, spices, whipped cream, and candy canes to add to each drink.

“I do this to give back to the community,” said Lori Madison, owner of the Fredricks Agency Inc.

"If you have a little kid come by and fill their cup up full of candy it warms my heart,” she said. The Fredricks Agency building was also the location for the parade's start.

The Brickhouse, which won for best chili cook-off in 2021 and again won this year, had chili-tasting and wooden ornament decorations that were shaped like a deer, present, and bells.

Fredrick's Agency Inc. in Port Clinton offered its famous hot chocolate bar before the parade. Owners are Lori Madison and Margaret Fartas.
Fredrick's Agency Inc. in Port Clinton offered its famous hot chocolate bar before the parade. Owners are Lori Madison and Margaret Fartas.

The community Christmas event has been held for nearly 10 years while five years ago the chili cook-off was added. Last year the event was canceled due to no one signing up to participate in the event.

Chamber president worked to bring back the event

Nicole Kochensparger, president of the Port Clinton Chamber of Commerce, has been working to revive the holiday event. This year she was determined to get the event up and running again.

“We're struggling to get the participation back to what it had been in the previous years,” Kochensparger said. “The reasons that we initially added the chili cook-off was so that you have the activities for the kids and then the chili cook-off for the adults."

Alexa Cuttaia dressed up like an elf and served chili at The Brickhouse, which won this year's chili cook-off.
Alexa Cuttaia dressed up like an elf and served chili at The Brickhouse, which won this year's chili cook-off.

"Now with MORA, you can have drinks and roam around downtown with them so there's the adult activity part too," Kochensparger said.

After the event, visitors returned to the chamber office and voted on the best chili and the best window decoration. Afterwards, the lighted parade was held. Each car was decorated in lights and Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived in a firetruck. The parade also included the Grinch who was creating mischief. Others in the parade included a Salvation Army truck, Wylie the Walleye from the New Year's walleye drop, a Jet Express float, and others.

For more information on other events held in downtown Port Clinton go to portclintonchamber.com.

This article originally appeared on Port Clinton News Herald: Port Clinton shops welcome visitors for Community Christmas