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The Gingerbread Village was a focal point of the Christmas Lighting event in downtown Brundidge Friday night, along with the city’s huge 2020 Christmas tree and the coming of Santa Claus.

Santa arrived on the city fire truck and made his way through a crowd of children to the Knox Ryals Pavilion where he eagerly listened to the wishes of good little boys and girls inside the Gingerbread Village.

The village was created by the staff of the Tupper Lightfoot Memorial Library and was the perfect setting for Santa.

Theresa Trawick, library director, said Mayor Isabell Boyd asked the library staff to decorate the pavilion for the arrival of Santa.

“And we were glad to be asked,” Trawick said. “We have a talented and creative staff and we always appreciate the opportunity to be involved in community events.”

But, first things first, so the library staff had to decide on a theme for a setting for Santa.

Other cities were already highlighting the Grinch, Charlie Brown and Tiny Tim so the library staff decided on a Gingerbread Village complete with gingerbread boys and girls.

The library staff looked for repurposed materials to create the village and they found everything they needed- fluffy, puffy snow, brown paper for the walls, scrap windows from the city, paper houses, candy canes and a rocking chair for Santa and presents as seating for the kids.

A Plexiglass divider was the only indication that the world is in the midst of a pandemic so the Gingerbread Village was a very, merry place to be on a cold, winter’s night.

Trawick portrayed Mrs. Santa and read Christmas poems to the children as they waited for Santa to hear their Christmas wishes.

Mayor Isabell Boyd had nothing but praise for the creativity and dedication of “Tupper’s” staff.

“The library staff did an outstanding job,” Boyd said. “We thank them for the outstanding work they did. The Gingerbread Village is something that they and the city can be proud off. With talent like that, we will be calling on them again in the future.”