CARIBOU, Maine — The city of Caribou is putting a new spin on its upcoming holiday events, allowing residents and families to celebrate while staying safe and maintaining social distancing. Upcoming activities include drive-through gingerbread house decorating, Small Business Saturday and a tree lighting event featuring live reindeer.
Reindeer are scheduled for three appearances next to the Caribou statue at Lyndon Square, located in downtown Caribou. Their first showing will be 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28 , and then 4:30-7 p.m. At 5 p.m. that day, the city will hold its tree lighting ceremony in the same location.
Reindeer are then set to make one final appearance from 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday, Nov. 29.
The city is encouraging photographs, and guests are being asked to follow a one-way traffic pattern starting near Brambleberry Market.
Caribou Marketing and Events Coordinator Christina Kane-Gibson, a Caribou native, said that she hasn’t seen live reindeer for the city’s tree lighting event since she was a child.
And while masks are mandatory, she said people will be able to briefly remove them for a quick picture next to the reindeer. With the reindeer actually being a caribou, she said it only was fitting to have the pictures next to the city’s statue.
“We’ll have a real caribou next to a statue of one,” she said.
Kane-Gibson said the event would not be possible without the Caribou Volunteer Fire Department, adding that she’s only helping with the logistics.
Small Business Saturday is set to start on Nov. 28, but this year it will last an entire week, ending on Dec. 5. The Caribou Wellness and Recreation Center will distribute 200 unique checklists via drive-through. The checklists will identify participating businesses offering free ornaments, and stores will offer special deals throughout the week.
Guests will have an opportunity to pick one of two ornament checklists created by local artists Betheny Andersen and Sue McCarthy.
Santa helps the Caribou Fire and Ambulance Department plug in the Christmas tree at Lyndon Square during the city’s first tree-lighting event in more than a decade in December 2019. (Chris Bouchard | Aroostook Republican & News)
And on Dec. 4, the rec center will hold a socially distanced iteration of its annual gingerbread house decorating event. This year, elves will hand out the gingerbread house kits via drive through at the rec center for families to take home and decorate.
Kane-Gibson said the gingerbread house event would not be possible without the help of Sleeper’s of Caribou, Farm’s Bakery and resident Barbara Aiken and volunteers for assembling the houses and making frosting.
“The gingerbread house event is absolutely one of our favorites,” she said. “But because of COVID we can’t have people come inside to decorate, so we’re going to provide a lot of the things you’d normally get when you’re here.”
She said that while kids won’t be able to sit on Santa’s lap this year, he will be smiling and waving to guests outside.
“We’ll be taking all Santa letters,” she said. “He’ll be able to take those right home with him.”
She said that while this year’s event is a bit different from the city’s usual tradition, the city hopes that families will be able to get in the holiday spirit by taking the kits home and playing some Christmas music while they decorate.
Families will need to register beforehand by calling the rec center at 207-493-4224.
“It’s a little different, but hopefully next year we’ll be back in the traditional sense,” she said.
