Written By Olena Riznyk
AILSA CRAIG – The town held its Holiday Extravaganza on Friday, November 21, drawing steady crowds to twenty designated passport stops throughout the village. The event was organized by the Ailsa Craig Village Association and featured a coordinated schedule of activities, including markets, local business open houses, museum programming, and a horse-and-wagon route connecting Main Street with the Community Centre.
The Community Centre served as one of the busiest hubs, hosting a holiday market with approximately 35 vendors. Market coordinator Amber Robinson noted strong participation from both sellers and visitors. Amber confirmed that the market operated as a Food Bank fundraiser, with donations accepted at entry. She added that organizers would host a second market the following weekend in Parkhill. “There’s something for everybody — kids, pets, everybody,” she said.
The horse-and-wagon ride, managed by the Village Association, ran in a continuous loop every ten minutes between Home Hardware and the Community Centre, providing transportation between several of the twenty passport locations. These stops included local shops, the Ailsa Craig Arts Centre, the town’s library, restaurants, community hubs, and the Ailsa Craig & Area Food Bank and Thrift Store.
The Ailsa Craig Museum, operated by the North Middlesex Historical Society, reported one of its strongest turnouts in recent years. Museum volunteer Rachel Ansems estimated that roughly 75 visitors toured the space during the evening. “A lot of people who I haven’t seen here before — people who live in town but have just never stopped by,” she said. Rachel added that visitors frequently asked about the village’s history, including the origins of Ailsa Craig and its early settlement timeline.
The museum also offered children’s activities, including its ongoing turtle hunt, in which small turtle figurines are hidden in display cases. “It gets kids looking in every single museum case,” Rachel said, noting that some children returned to repeat the activity.
The passport system, listing twenty participating locations, encouraged movement across the village. Participants received a stamp at each stop and needed at least twelve stamps to complete the card. Locations ranged from community facilities to small businesses, including the Auld Barn, CDS Pharmacy, Nancy’s Creations, Whimsy’s Salon & Gifts, Ailsa Craig Pottery, and various Main Street storefronts.
By the end of the evening, organizers reported high engagement across all sectors of the event. The combination of local shopping, historical programming, food-drive participation, and family-focused activities contributed to what volunteers described as one of the most active Holiday Extravaganza nights to date.
