The day after Thanksgiving, Santa Claus will arrive in Kenai bringing hot cocoa, cookies, candy and fireworks. The annual Christmas Comes to Kenai, put on by the Kenai Chamber of Commerce, will kick off Friday, Nov. 24, at 11 a.m., then run through the day with the parade at 6 p.m. and fireworks at 7 p.m.
According to information posted by the chamber to Facebook, at 11 a.m. Santa will arrive at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center aboard a fire truck from the City of Kenai. He’ll remain at the chamber until 4 p.m. to greet kids and take photos, with cookies and cocoa available.
Chamber Executive Director Samantha Springer said Thursday that Santa’s appearance at the chamber was expanded this year to give more children the opportunity to meet him.
Christmas Comes to Kenai is one of the annual events that the community looks forward to, but Springer said that means the chamber has to work hard to keep building on the event. She teased new “surprises” to look forward to this year.
At 4 p.m., Santa will leave the chamber to get ready for his next appearance in the electric lights parade, which will start at 6 p.m. and run down Frontage Road from the Kenai Senior Center to the Kenai visitors center. At the route’s terminus, a bonfire will be lit for attendees to gather until the fireworks start at 7 p.m.
A key focus for this event, she said, is making sure everything is free — to provide something for families and kids to do to celebrate the start of the Christmas season.
The chamber, Springer said, is excited about its role in ushering in the Christmas season the day after Thanksgiving.
“This is something that people expect,” Springer said. “This is the community event that starts it … We’re trying to make things bigger.”
For more information about the event or the chamber, find “Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center” on Facebook.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
