Santa’s Local Workshop adds to the Christmas season in Brawley
BRAWLEY — For the third year in a row Brawley brought the magic of Christmas with Santa’s Local Workshop at the Plaza Park on Friday, December 15.
The event, which began modest and grew in size with the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony, brings joy to the community by giving everyone an opportunity to get together and celebrate the holiday.
“This is a really beautiful night here in our city,” Councilmember
Gil Rebollar said. “To see the community come out to support our tree lighting, to support our small businesses and to support our vendors really embodies the holiday spirit.”
As people approached Plaza Park, the smell of hot cocoa and “churros” filled the air, reflecting the wintertime ambiance. A total of 35 local merchants sold meals and displayed their wares at the event.
The gazebo, illuminated by vibrant holiday lights, created a magical atmosphere as visitors streamed in to snap pictures of the glittering Christmas tree and sit in the Santa Claus chair.
For Ana Phillips, Brawley resident and mother of three children, it was the first time she was experiencing the event. Although she came just for the end of the event, she took advantage of the Christmas decorations to take holiday captures.
“This event is a great opportunity to have fun in the community,” Phillips said. “I love that my kids can take pictures and just enjoy the environment.”
Her little ones were showing off their new bracelets they made at the ‘Elf Village’.
The ‘Elf Village’ was a zone totally dedicated to the five to 13-year-old entrepreneurs. From toys, to snacks to crafts, the little ones were thriving as the public approached the zone curious to check it out.
“They can sell anything that they want to sell to make a little bit of money for Christmas,” Brawley Chamber of Commerce CEO Ramiro Urias, whose 5-year-old daughter was selling some products at the village, said.
“We just want to encourage them if they have that entrepreneurial spirit to make some money, learn about receiving change and giving change by selling stuff,” he said.
Snow was also an attraction for the kids. Donated by Crown Cooling, Majesty and Masters Construction, the tinies were dancing, sliding and playing until the white snow throughout the evening.
“She’d rather be selling than playing in the snow,” Urias said about his daughter. “That’s my favorite part, being able to see her win, be a business owner and trying to sell stuff.”
“It’s really exciting for us to be able to see the community come out and support everybody,” he added.