Dozens of families lined Mississaga Street East, just out front of Rustica Pizza Vino this morning, to receive a free Christmas ornament handcrafted by Streets Alive artists.
“This is our Merry Streets Alive Christmas event. It’s an ornament giveaway and a Christmas portrait,” explained Streets Alive founder, Leslie Fournier.
“We’ve been doing this for about six years now. The artists hand-paint an ornament and then people come downtown to choose an ornament they love and get their picture taken by photographer Deb Halbot.”
The free event helps spread community spirit during the holidays, Fournier says.
“It gets people interacting with each other and passing along joy. It’s the best feeling when you see the community coming together,” she said.
“It makes me especially proud of our arts community and all the artists who have generously given up their talents.”
Local artist Laura Hinsberger made 15 ornaments to give away on Saturday.
“I like to give back to the community because I’m proud to be an Orillia resident and I think everyone should share the talents that they have. It brings me a lot of joy,” she said.
Hinsberger says she nearly cried when she saw people choosing her ornaments.
“We’ve been disconnected from each other for 21 months, and today I’m seeing friends I haven’t seen in months. It’s going to be a Christmas memory where we stayed home but were brought together by this event,” she said.
Local resident Ana Morris says she and her husband, Roy, attend the event every year.
“I come down to be part of the community and to see the different artists. I just love it; it’s a nice community event,” she said.
“I think it’s important to support the community, to lift them up, encourage them. It’s a beautiful thing for everyone.”
Morris gives Streets Alive credit for brightening spirits with their various projects throughout the holiday season.
“Everything Streets Alive does brightens our community, but this event is one of my favourites,” she said.
Tracy Tupling was another local resident attending the event with her dog.
“This is my first time coming to this event, and next year I’m going to participate with Streets Alive and make a few ornaments in the summer to be ready for it,” she said.
The event also brought Tupling back downtown for the first time in two years.
“I have not walked these streets and I really missed it. It’s been great and I’m excited to walk around and check out the Streets Alive Christmas Trees that are here,” she said.
