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 TODD WETHERINGTON | DAILY HERALD Four-year-old Michael Hantz decorates his Grinch's heart Christmas cookie Saturday during the Roanoke Canal Museum's “Christmas on the Canal” celebration. |
While not billed as a children's event, the smaller kids seemed to be having the most fun scurrying around the warm museum, waiting for their turn to decorate their very own Grinch cookie, which they ate while watching a showing of Dr. Seuss' “How The Grinch Stole Christmas.”
A wide range of music was provided by three different groups. The Chaloner Middle School “Jingle-bell Jackets” band opened the festivities, playing outside in a misting rain. Parents, friends and more braved the chilly mist to enjoy the festive Christmas sounds.
As the crowd moved back inside, the duo of Kim Koskela and David Schwartz, who call themselves “Chambergrass”, took over the entertainment chores with their unique blend of chamber and bluegrass music. The blend became even more interesting when Christmas music was added.
All the while Chambergrass played for the toe-tapping adults, the smaller children buzzed around the museum, enjoying the many cookies and treats the canal museum staff and friends had cooked up for the event.
Roanoke Canal Museum and Trail Manager Harold Jacobson laughed as he watched the kids scurry around. He had just finished helping many of them “decorate” Grinch cookies with cake icing and candy sprinkles.
“All of our staff and many volunteers helped put this together this year. They did all the baking and decorating,” said Jacobson. “The event was so huge last year that we hope to add three events next year. We added more music this year, along with the cookie decorating and the show.”
The adults took advantage of every opportunity to actually tour and enjoy the museum, which continues to add more interesting exhibits about life along the Roanoke River, canals and locks, over the past year. Jacobson reported that plans to add onto the museum and build an elevator to the lower level are moving along. That progress was the reason the lower level was not open for this event.
Jacobson also reported that the numbers of museum and trail visitors was way up for 2007. While the new Roanoke Rapids Lake Park is responsible for a large part of that jump in attendance, the trail and museum are becoming a regular stop for many wildlife and other groups across the state. He said between 45,000 to 60,000 people have visited this year and sees no reason for the steady growth to slow.
The final musical show of the afternoon was by the Roanoke Rapids High School Jazz Ensemble. The group has increased in size to some 15-or-so members and completely filled the tent-covered stage area outside the museum. Parents and fans braved the chilly wind and cheered the kids after each jazzy Christmas song.
As the afternoon ended and the last band packed up to leave, the museum staff seemed pleased with the turnout on such a cold and drizzly day. “We had been looking at the weather for a week or so prior to today and thought we just might get lucky and have a beautiful day,” Jacobson said, “but even though we didn't, we're really happy with the turnout.”
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