Skip to content

Moonlight Madness promises to be a great time for families and shoppers

Athabasca and District Chamber of Commerce vice-president Rick Baksza is looking forward to Friday’s Moonlight Madness activities. “I’m going to be down there in the tent handing out hot chocolate, playing with kids,” he said.
Santa Claus will make a special appearance during this year’s Moonlight Madness. The parade starts at 6:30 p.m. this Friday, Nov. 27.
Santa Claus will make a special appearance during this year’s Moonlight Madness. The parade starts at 6:30 p.m. this Friday, Nov. 27.

Athabasca and District Chamber of Commerce vice-president Rick Baksza is looking forward to Friday’s Moonlight Madness activities.

“I’m going to be down there in the tent handing out hot chocolate, playing with kids,” he said.

Moonlight Madness is an annual event put on by the chamber. The night starts at 6:30 p.m. with a parade through downtown — up 49 St, across 49 Ave and down 50 St. — led by Santa.

Santa Claus will then help light the tree down at the Riverfront and pose for pictures in the Tridon/Select Rentals tent, which is going to be all lit up.

“We’re going to have some really big no-one’s ever seen before lights set up. So, you will find it. Like, you could find it from Boyle,” Baksza joked. “We’re going to light-up the downtown that way. We’re going to try to keep (Santa) there until 9 p.m. and we’ll be taking pictures. Buy Low will be there to take pictures.”

About 10 minutes before the fireworks display starts, the chamber will be letting off one air-horn blast, “ … just to get everyone in place so they can see what’s going on and watch the fireworks.”

Other than the Christmassy events, though, the true purpose of Moonlight Madness is that all the businesses downtown will be open late and having specials.

“Last year, there was over 400 people down and around in the town itself, trying to take advantage of all the sales,” said Baksza. “It’s a lot of the retailers biggest day. So, they’re going to do their best to provide the best deals they can for that night.”

There isn’t really an end scheduled to the sales as each retailer just judges how many people are going through the doors and acts accordingly.

“It really does depend on the weather, how late they stay open to. We’ve had nights where stores have been selling stuff right up until midnight. Sometimes only until 11,” he explained.

“There’s no real end time on it. It’s not ‘midnight madness’ it’s ‘moonlight madness.’”

Quite a few stores will also have song lyrics in them as part of a scavenger hunt, with the winner getting a cash prize.

“We’ve done bingos and that kind of stuff in the past, but this year, it’s got a different spin to it,” he explained.

“Each one of the participating ones are going to have it in their shop somewhere. I don’t think it’s going to be in the window, but it’ll be somewhere in the shop.

“You’re going to have to go in and hunt and find in each one of the stores and find out which one has it.”

The songs will be available in this week’s Advocate on Page 32. Once filled out the contest sheet can be submitted at the Tridon/Select tent.

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks