For over twenty years the residents of Rossland, British Columbia have been ringing in the holiday season with a fun and unique festival called Rekindle the Spirit of Christmas. Nestled away in the Kootenay Rockies, Rossland is a picturesque mountain town filled with year round activities and fun events. Rossland has a population of over 3,200 people that regularly swells due to it being a top Canadian outdoor adventure destination. Each year they put on the Victorian inspired Rekindle the Spirit of Christmas festival. The Victorian influence is based on and enhanced by the rich history of this former 19th century mining town.
With the historic downtown Rossland serving as the backdrop for this Victorian inspired holiday festival, it’s easy to get into the Christmas spirit. You’ll find activities such as the Santa Parade, where kids dress up and follow Santa down main street, art galleries open to feature beautiful work by local artists, photos with Santa at the library, story readings for all ages, and the list goes on. There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy a meal, whether it be at a food vendor or a local restaurant. The entire town gets in the Christmas mood, so make sure to visit the local boutique shops that have ballots you can fill out for the chance to win an impressive gift basket. Even Rossland’s micro brewery gets in on the fun with a special happy hour during the event. This is a great festival for all ages and backgrounds, join the residents of Rossland for a unique holiday experience. We interviewed Kristi Calder, the Marketing Manager of Tourism Rossland, about this unique tradition and the the fun activities that come with it.
RAL: Tell me about the festival.
KC: Rekindle is proudly entering into its 21st year of celebrating the Christmas season. Annually Rekindle draws over 1,000 people during the course of the day. The event is great for all ages, but the demographics of the crowd are mostly families.
RAL: What makes Rekindle the Spirit of Christmas unique?
KC: We use the historical qualities of Rossland to create a unique Victorian Christmas festival. We have fiddlers, artists, food, boutique shops, carollers, kids activities, story readings, a tree lighting and huge basket give away. All this is set in the scenic and historical downtown of Rossland, British Columbia, an outdoor town that retains its historical quality from the mining rush days.
RAL: Take me through a day at the festival.
KC: The day starts at 10:00 am with the downtown Rossland shops opening their doors. Visitors can visit all shops and complete a ballot at each one for a basket draw at the end of the day. There will also be food vendors, bake sales, gift wrapping, wreath sales, cider, hot chocolate, and kids activities starting downtown at this time. A children’s story reading takes place at New Edition Bookstore and Cafe at 10:00 am, which is always a hit for kids and their parents. Woven into the Rekindle event are a couple new art gallery openings and open houses. Rossland houses a fantastic variety of unique artists selling paintings, jewellery, glass work, etc.
At 1:00 pm, Santa arrives beside Esling Park to meet kids. They are encouraged to dress in their best reindeer costume and then parade through the downtown behind Santa and a fire truck to the library. Once at the library, Santa takes photos with the children. At 2:00 pm, there will be music at the historical Rouge Art Gallery, as well as carollers who will be wandering the streets and visiting all the local events and shops. At 3:00 pm, there is a second story reading, geared towards all ages at the new Jenny Bailie and Louise Drescher Art Gallery opening. Louise is an excellent story teller, so this reading is not to be missed.
The Red Mountain Racers will be holding their annual tree sale beside Mountain Nugget Chocolate Shop, and the Rossland Beer Company will be open for happy hour, offering a special treat for kids. The day caps off with the tree lighting in Henry LeFevre Square (with Santa's assistance) and the drawing of the gift basket winner. All downtown boutique shops contribute to this gift basket, making it very worthwhile to be present at the lighting.
RAL: What can attendees expect for local lodging?
KC: Rossland offers a unique variety of B&B's, hotels, and condos. You can find a complete accommodation listing on our website. Sweet Dreams Heritage Inn is a truly unique historical B&B-style accommodation that would add to the Victorian feel of the Rekindle event. A couple of other options include The Prestige Mountain Resort & Conference Centre and Red Mountain Resort.
RAL: What does Rekindle mean to the community?
KC: Rekindle is an important event to drive traffic to our downtown retailers. Also, a variety of teams, organizations, and charities use the event to set-up activities, food, wreath sales, etc., to fundraise for their cause.
RAL: Why should people come to the festival?
KC: Rossland is always a worthwhile trip with its historical downtown, mining history, outdoor activities and unique boutique shopping experience. Travellers won't find common chain stores here, but instead will find unique gifts for everyone on their list at our family owned and operated shops. Rekindle the Spirit of Christmas provides extra incentive for travellers wishing to come experience Rossland's historical quality. Come visit us and get into the Christmas spirit with this opportunity to meet many of the town's unique characters and get a real feel for the vibrant community who call Rossland home.
For more information about Rekindle the Spirit of Christmas and the Rossland community please visit their website.
Photography Credit to Peachell Photography