More than 6,000 people attended the recent 28th annual Winter Jubilee in downtown Abbotsford.
The event was held Dec. 2 on the streets of Essendene and Montrose avenues, and included the lighting of the Christmas tree, live entertainment, fireworks and the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus led by the Abbotsford Police Department and the 861 Silverfox air cadets.
Dave Algra, president of the Abbotsford Downtown Business Association, said the event has seen a significant spike in traffic over the years due to event improvements, new downtown merchants, and a growing population of community-minded residents.
In 2016, the annual tree lighting evolved into the “Winter Jubilee” as it’s known now, and was expanded to include more live entertainment, Christmas markets, photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, a beer garden and other festive activities for families.
New in 2017 was the addition of a second stage; pony rides; a bounce castle; face painting; balloon twisting; appearances by Christmas characters like Frosty the Snowman, The Grinch, Olaf, elves and Santa’s reindeer; more food trucks and vendors; and a larger craft beer and wine garden.
“We were delighted to be able to host this event again this year and are thrilled by the community’s enthusiasm for this annual holiday celebration,” Algra said.
“We’re already looking forward to next year’s Winter Jubilee on Dec. 1, 2018 and hope to be able to add a few new surprises!”
This year’s jubilee was once against hosted by the ADBA in collaboration with several new and returning community partners.
Visit downtownabbotsford.ca/winterjubilee/ for more information.