By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

Gingerbread Village brings Christmas spirit to downtown Nanaimo

Nov 24, 2017 | 3:33 PM

NANAIMO — Santa’s Workshop might be closed but that doesn’t mean Nanaimo is left with a lump of coal this year.

A host of festive family activities are on the agenda over the next four weeks, as the B. Gallant Homes Gingerbread Village takes over the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. Typically the Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association ran the popular Santa’s Workshop, however that event is no more since the organization lost City of Nanaimo funding.

Event coordinator Christyna Chapman said their original plan was to move the third annual B. Gingerbread Homes competition into the space where Santa’s Workshop was.

“But as the year progressed we had some amazing partners come on and the community just kept coming forward and all of a sudden we now have the Gingerbread Village,” Chapman said. “It’s a true testament to how Nanaimo and our community really comes together.”

Chapman said the gingerbread home building competition will have 23 entries this year, more than double last year’s total. The homes will be judged Friday night and then left on display through the month of December for the public to vote on.

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She said a popular event, Santa’s fly in, will return. The jolly old elf will land his “sleigh,” a float plane, in Nanaimo’s harbour at 11:45 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 25.

“We have some pretty big shoes to fill with what Santa’s Workshop used to be. There’s some really great iconic things they created so we want to continue that for Nanaimo.”

Some of the events will be free, some by donation, with all proceeds going to the local Salvation Army.

“So many fellow businesses stepped up to participate or support the event, which just shows what a great community we live in,” Byron Gallant, owner of B. Gallant Homes, said.

Events run each Saturday starting on Nov. 25 through Dec. 16. The Lion’s Club Parade is on Dec. 2 at 5 p.m. You can find out full details here.

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