The volunteers at Fulton’s Windmill Area will host several programs during the Christmas Walk on Friday, December 4, from 5:00 – 7:30. This is the second year that the Windmill Cultural Center will have events during the annual winter celebration. The public is invited to share in the festivities taking place at 111 – 10th Avenue in downtown Fulton, Illinois.
On Friday, December 4, the Windmill Cultural Center will be open from 5:00 – 7:30 PM. At 5:00, the night will begin with a craft about Sinterklaas. St. Nicholas Day is celebrated in the Netherlands on December 5 with the giving of gifts and reading of poems with Sinterklaas leaving small treats for children in their (wooden) shoes. The Fulton Christmas Walk happens to fall the day before the Dutch holiday this year, so the Education Committee will celebrate with a craft time featuring the Sinterklaas legend.
At 5:30, the Morrison Madrigal singers will perform in costume. The singers celebrate their 41st anniversary this year, and it is one of the oldest such programs in the State of Illinois. The madrigal group is led by Meagan Zahora, Director of Choral Activities at Morrison High School. The group will perform in Fulton for 45 minutes. Following the madrigal singers, there will be musical performances by Katie Gordon on oboe and Sadie Norman on violin. Throughout the evening, Sinterklaas, Miller Claus, and an Icelandic “Yule Lad” will be available for photos.
New this year, is a windmill building contest made from Lego building blocks which will be judged for design and creativity. Age categories for the contest are: kindergarten – second grade, third – fifth grade, sixth – eighth grade, and high school – adult. Completed windmills may be dropped off at the Windmill Cultural Center on Thursday, December 3, from 3:00 – 5:00. Results will be revealed at 5:00 on Friday, December 4. Windmills may be viewed by the public during the Christmas Walk and will be available for pick-up by the Lego builder at 7:30 on Friday night.
In addition to the special events happening on December 4, a temporary display featuring nutcrackers and German smokers has been organized by the Friends of the Windmill. The activities at the Windmill Cultural Center during the Fulton Christmas Walk are free and open to the public. The facility is accessible to people with disabilities. Refreshments will be served.
Activities during the Fulton Christmas Walk are not the only happenings at the Windmill Area this winter. Wild Winter Wednesdays at the Windmill Cultural Center (WWW@WCC) are fun, educational programs offered on Wednesday mornings in December, January, February, and March at 9:00 a.m. Also, the Volunteer Millers provide educational, historical, and musical programming throughout the year. Both sets of programs are free and open to the public. For more information, call 815-589-3925 or visit the Windmill Cultural Center Facebook page.