A mild December evening took the chill out of Shiverfest.
The 2nd annual Outdoor Christmas Market under the arches Friday evening drew a steady crowd of through the night.
This year organizers of Christmas in Pelham combined what were separate Friday and Saturday events into an afternoon and evening outing.
The organizing committee made the change to limit town staff time and consolidate volunteer efforts.
School and church carollers entertained at restaurants and shops during the day.
Choirs from St. Alexander Catholic, Glynn A. Green Public and Maple Crest Early schools sang at Mokus, Keith’s and the Fonthill Shopping Plaza.
In the evening, food and craft vendors setup under the Arches in the entrance to Pelham Town Square for an evening of food music and demonstrations.
Santa Claus came early this year setting up in the outdoor market for two hours drawing young families under the arches Friday rather than Saturday to the Fonthill bandshell.
In its first year, the outdoor market sustained a blast of cold wind leading to the Shiverfest label. This year the milder evening encouraged visitors to stick around longer.
A pair of alpacas, an ice carving demonstration, carriage rides, singers and food tasting drew visitors.
So did outdoor heaters as gathering points.
Veronica MacDonald with her two children Maisie and Callum found one a warm place to stand.
She came last year and found the evening entertaining for the children.
Ice carvers chopped out an angel and polished a Santa through the evening before a gathering crowd.
A lit up horse carriage took visitors on rides around Pelham Town Square.
White Meadows Farms attracted children to its maple sucker making process. Hot maple sugar was poured on chopped ice.
“It just takes time to boil down the syrup to right quality,” said owner Murray Bering watching the pot boil before pouring.
Among the entertainers was the Kirk-on-the-Hill Presbyterian Church choir. It sang Christmas carols throughout downtown Fonthill.
About 15 vendors set up for the evening including the Knights of Columbus selling Christmas cheer and the Fonthill Lions Club hot chocolate.
