YOUNG PROFESSIONALS – 6-8 p.m. Come meet young professionals from the Otsego area in this networking event. J&D’s Wagon Wheel, Main St., Oneonta. Info, www.facebook.com/YoungProfessionalsNetworkYPN/
OPEN HOUSE – 5-7 p.m. The Otsego Area Occupational Center open house includes display’s games, open enrollment for adult education classes, child fingerprinting, and demonstrations from the CTE programs. Otsego Nothern Catskills BOCES, 1914 Co. Hwy. 35, Milford. Info, www.facebook.com/ONCBOCES/
ALDEN SCHOLAR SERIES – 7 p.m. “Rethinking Clutter: An Anthropological Take on the Stuff that’s Hard to Let Go” presented by Dr. Sallie Han. Free reception to follow. Alden Room, Milne Library, SUNY Oneonta. Info, E.K Lee, (607)436-2159
FAMILY GAME NIIGHT – 5-10 p.m. Bring Family and Friends to Board Game Night. Serenity Hobbies, 254 Main St, Oneonta. Info, serenityhobbies.com
CHRISTMAS DINNER DONATIONS – 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Donations of food to the Friends of Christmas Dinner should be dropped off at First United Methodist Church, 66 Chestnut St., Oneonta. Accepting baked pies, fruit breads, Christmas cookies, fresh fruit, apple and cranberry juice. Volunteers needed as cooks, drivers, servers and cleaning. Info, Ann Steen 432-1283 or Kelly Ahlqvist 432-1871
SOUTHSDIE MALL SANTA – 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Southside Mall, 5006 State Highway 23, Oneonta.
ONEONTA SANTA – 4-6 p.m. Muller Plaza, Main St., Oneonta.
MUSIC – 6-9 p.m. Come de-stress with Dan Schilling. Timber Creek Saloon and Restaurant, 2957 ST. HWY. 23, West Oneonta. Info, www.facebook.com/TimberCreekLLC
We still have 6 families in the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program in need of a benefactor this holiday season. CLICK HERE to learn how you can help them.
CANDLELIGHT EVENING – 3-7 p.m. Participate in a beloved holiday tradition. The museum is decorated with greenery and candles with wagon rides, a dramatic reading of “A Christmas Carol”, arts & crafts for the kids, visits with Saint Nicholas, complimentary wassail, a bonfire on the Tavern Green, and Caroling by the Catskill Chamber Singers. The Farmers Museum, 5775 NY-80, Cooperstown. Info, www.farmersmuseum.org/Candlelight-Evening
WASSAIL WEEKEND – 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Demonstration on how to make Wassail, the traditional holiday dring. Savory spices blended with sweet cider at The Fly Creek Cider Mill, 288 Goose St., Fly Creek. Info, 1-800-505-6455, flycreekcidermill.com
OPERA – 12:55 p.m. “L’Amour de Loin.” The Met streaming live in HD. Foothills Performing Arts & Civic Center, 24 Market St., Oneonta. Cost $18/seniors, $20/adults, 10/students. Season pass $200. Box Office: (607) 431-2080, foothillspac.org/index.php/shows/metropolitan-opera-in-hd
Hundreds packed Muller Plaza this evening for the community treelighting in downtown Oneonta, a highlight of the season in the City of the Hills. In top photo, posing in front of the just-lit tree are, from left, Santa’s elf Allison Green, Mayor Gary Herzig (just back from last night’s treelighting at Rockefeller Center), You Know Who, and Oneonta Town Supervisor Bob Wood. Lower right, the four soloists in the upcoming Fokine Ballet “Nutcracker” – from left, Hannah Reynolds, Rose Wake, Gabriella Basdekis and Siarra Goodhue – flashing winning smiles at passing fans. Lower left, Keegan Head, 16 months, of Oneonta, peers from his dad Kevin’s shoulders at the tree-lighting fun. (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)
Kim Snyder, Oneonta, and her son Nathan, dance to the classic rock sounds of Off The Record, who was preforming in Muller Plaza during the Cruise In at this evening’s First Friday. Main st. was closed off and filled with classic cars and food, including brownie sundaes at the Greater Oneonta Historical Society. (Ian Ausin/AllOTSEGO.com
ONEONTA – A candlelight vigil to honor victims in the latest acts of gun violence, including Philando Castile, Alton Sterling and Dallas police officers, is planned at 5 p.m. Thursday, July 14, in Muller Plaza.
“The focus of the vigil will be to mourn the recent unnecessary loss of lives of police officers and young black men and to respect their memory,” said NAACP leader Regina Betts. “We stand with loved ones, friends and colleagues affected by violence. We decry social injustices, especially racism, and seek reconciliation and understand with those we somehow fear, resent or threaten.”
Mayor Gary Herzig and Santa Claus cheer with the masses gathered in Muller Plaza this evening at the annual tree-lighting ceremony. The event featured singers, Dancers from the Donna Decker School of Ballet, cocoa, treats and alpacas. (Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com)
Once again, free scarves have appeared in downtown Oneonta, this time, in the walkway between Main Street and the Parking Garage. Lacey Layton, who hung scarves in Muller Plaza this past winter, worked with Russ Southard to hang hooks in the walkway so the scarves would stay dry. Those in need are encouraged to take a scarf free of charge, and those with extras are invited to hang scarves on the hooks.
With the help of the “elves” in the crowd, Acting Mayor Russ Southard and Santa Claus light the Christmas tree in Muller Plaza on Thursday night. (Ian Austin/allotsego.com)
ONEONTA – More than 200 people braved the cold and crowded into Muller Plaza to help Mayor Russ Southard and Santa Claus light the Oneonta Christmas tree earlier this evening.
“I tried to light the tree earlier, but I couldn’t get it to work,” said Southard. “The maintenance guys told me I needed two things: Santa Claus and elves.” He had Santa, and Santa quickly dubbed all the people gathered in the plaza as his elves, and with a countdown from ten, the tree magically sprung to light.
Main Street remained shut down for most of the evening so visitors could view the gingerbread houses, warm up with some hot chocolate from The Red Caboose, enjoy dancers from the Donna Decker School of Ballet’s performance of “The Nutcracker” and take horse-drawn sleigh rides through the center of town. The Oneonta History Center had their holiday train set running, and stores remained open late to invite shoppers in for gifts.
