Camilla Faragalli

Bryson Nov. 18, 2023

Snow-frosted trees and sparkling gift packages filled the tinsel-lined hall at the Forest Inn on Saturday for the Bryson RA’s second annual Jingle & Mingle Christmas event.

Elves, ice princesses and of course, Santa himself, were all present and photo-ready throughout the “jingle” portion of the day.

Upon entry, kids were invited to take a photo with Santa and write him a letter, to be sent to him via North Pole Express Post.

Photo print-outs were available immediately, as was a frame-decorating station, and an abundance of hot chocolate, cupcakes and rice krispies to keep little bellies full.

“Often in rural areas like the Pontiac, when we want nice professional photos with Santa, we go to shopping centres in the city,” said Meghan Griffin, one of the twenty-plus volunteers from the Bryson RA who helped make the event possible.

“We wanted to kind of bring the magic here,” she said, adding that over 100 children had attended the sold-out event over the course of the day.

“It’s pretty special.”

“We don’t have many events in the Pontiac,” said Danick Lacroix, a Bryson father of three who attended the Jingle with his family.

“Last year’s [Jingle and Mingle] was a success, but it’s even better this year,” he said.

Shyloh Pasqua, secretary of the Bryson RA, said that the Forest Inn hall was lent to the RA for the occasion by Stanton Enterprises Ltd.

“It’s exceptionally generous because it’s very hard to find a hall big enough to accommodate the space that we need,” she said, adding that the donated space helped lower the costs of admission, making the event more of “a giving back” to the community.

The hall would be transformed yet again that evening, for the “mingle” portion of the Jingle & Mingle; a Christmas craft and vendor show featuring local artisans.