by Tim Troglen

Reporter

Hudson -- The weather outside might have been frightful -- right around the 20 degree mark -- but local merchants say the crowds for the annual Holiday Walk Dec. 7 were delightful.

"It went great," said John MacWherter of Uniquely Ohio and president of the Merchants of Hudson association. "It was a good weekend with nice crowds."

The annual event included carriage rides, holiday elves, reindeers, carolers, musicians, Santa Claus and a live Nativity.

MacWherter said the frigid Ohio air did not seem to keep the crowds away.

"Our crowds were comparable to last year," he said. "I thought it was a good day -- it could have been warmer -- but other than that is was good."

He said crowds lined up for carriage rides and to look at the reindeer.

"People were really enjoying themselves," he added. "It was a neat event."

Liz Murphy of the Learned Owl Book Shop agreed, saying "it went really well."

"It was crowded, and people didn't mind the bitter cold," she said.

Murphy said the book store kept busy with steady crowds stopping in to browse the shelves and listen to live entertainment.

Local merchants were joined by several community organizations as they continued a month-long celebration of the holiday season. Merchants offered a variety of specials and events, including free gift wrapping and face painting, crafts, contests, photos, giveaways, discounts, and free snacks, cider, punch and hot chocolate.

The brisk wind and blowing flakes also didn't seem to dampen the spirits of those at the live Nativity scene at the Clocktower Green.

"I think overall they were real troopers," Dee Buchanan, director of children's ministries for the First Congregational Church of Hudson, said of her troupe, which portrayed the manger birth from 1 to 6 p.m.

Buchanan said the chill was kept at bay by a slight deviation from the original birth of Jesus -- a propane heater.

She said two babies, one 2 1/2 months old and another 3 1/2 months old, "slept almost the entire time" as they portrayed Jesus.

"They were wrapped up nice by their families and settled into the lap of 'Mary' and went right to sleep," Buchanan said.

Crowds may have been down a little from last year because of the weather, she said, but a steady flow of people passed by the manger.

Buchanan said her group worked five 1-hour shifts, with 15 to 25 people each shift, including carolers.

And it wasn't just the performers who braved the elements. Buchanan said the manger was set up by a crew Dec. 6 "in all that snow when it was all blustery."

And the next day, when it was time to take the manger down until next year, she said the crew of eight men may have set a record.

"They started a 6 p.m., and it was down and in its summer storage spot by 6:35," she said. "They were fast."

Buchanan also said the animals used for the scene, including a sheep, goat and donkey seemed "perkier than last year," but did not seem inhibited by the cold.

Rotary Club
hosts Santa

Jimmy Sutphin, president of the Rotary Club of Hudson, said it was "a split decision" on whether to continue the club's annual Santa on the Green event Dec. 6.

"The first part there was no snow," he said. "Then it started to snow quite hard."

Santa and Mrs. Claus were guests of the club from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on the day before the Holiday Walk.

Sutphin said they were scheduled to be in town until 3 p.m., but after 110 families had visited the Kringles in about five hours, the Green cleared out, and no one else stopped by for candy canes, hot chocolate or packs of reindeer food.

"This was the first time in eight years this has happened," Sutphin said. "They must have decided it was too windy and snowy to brave the elements."

Sutphin said "Santa and Mrs. Claus did very well," staying warm with a padded chair and blanketed seat.

Sutphin said this was the coldest Holiday Walk he can remember in eight years since the rotary club has sponsored Santa's visit.

E-mail: ttroglen@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3146