Holiday jubilee draws families to Delhi

[Guest Nicole]

Families sang carols, decorated cookies and took wagon rides at the Courthouse Square in Delhi Saturday during the annual Holiday Jubilee.

Winners of the Greater Delhi Area Chamber of Commerce's Holiday Lighting Contest were also announced at the event. The Delhi Beautification Committee judged the homes and businesses that registered for the contest. Peg Baldwin, vice president of that committee, announced the winners. She said, “Five judges used a rubric and point system to determine the winners. All the lights were gorgeous.”

Ani and Mya Kollig were present with their mother, Jennifer, to accept third place for residential holiday lights.

“We were in charge of making sure all the light bulbs work,” said Ani. “It required a lot of wire tying, binding and taping.”

The Delaware Academy students also, “put lights on the chicken coop,” said Mya.

Jennifer Kollig explained, “The first year of the contest, we earned first place. Winners can’t submit entries the following year, but we used the money we won the first year to buy more lights and we entered the contest this year. It’s exciting to win a placement.”

Kim Eighmey won first place in the residential category and Melvin Elderkin won second.

Main Street Cards & Gifts won the business category, followed by Coldwell Banker and Vintage Valley Farm.

A map of all participants can be found at: www.visitdelhiny.com/news. Those interested can click a link for the holiday lights contest.

On a chilly night at the jubilee, carolers serenaded cookie decorators while children met Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Sorority sisters from the State University College of Technology at Delhi’s Omicron Xi Omega managed hundreds of cookies and a mix of decorations for the likes of five-year old Joshua Fishner of Delhi.

Kaitlin King a sophomore, said, “We baked about a hundred cookies to bring. Our sorority is like a second family for me, doing positive things together.”

Another member, Paige Bryan, said, “I wanted to be here. I like being part of community, even though I don’t celebrate Christmas because of my Jehovah's Witness background.”

The faith of Jehovah's Witnesses celebrates all people all year long, Bryan said. She added, “We all have our beliefs and for different reasons, and we can respect that.”

Bundled in a polar bear suit, 4-month-old Holdyn Gallucci came to Delhi from Oneonta to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Her mother, Marci Gallucci said, “My parents live in Delhi. I grew up here and was looking forward to the first time Holdyn would meet Santa. I didn’t know if she’d cry or not, but I think she enjoyed it.”

Photos were snapped to show to Holdyn’s father and brothers, John, Nicholas, and Anthony, respectively, who were busy elsewhere.

The jubilee also included wagon rides. Two-horses, Roxy and Cheyenne pulled the open sleigh and clopped past the Delhi Village Hall. 

The Jubilee also gave Delhi businesses a reason to stay open late.

Tay Tea shop at 159 Main Street, hosted a workshop by Marguerite Ulhmann,  an herbalist and wild food forager.

At 76 Main Street, Stone and Sawyer was open. In the middle of the shop was a large tree, lit with white lights.

“I always wanted a tall tree,” said Julian Peploe, co-owner of the shop with David Ryan. The shop sells high-end, locally made lamps and a variety of products from a dozen local artisans.

“We found this 13-footer tree at Hawley Tree Farm and I knew it’d fit in the shop,” said Peploe, who shared a memory of the holidays. “My brother and I would search under the tree every year. One year there was a large present and we were obsessed with who the present was for. The large box was for me and it was a guitar. Ah, this whole time is magical,” he said.

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