With Santa at the helm and a $1,000 check for the Schoharie County Community Action Program’s food banks in tow, Canadian Pacific’s Holiday Train roared into Cobleskill Sunday for its 12th visit.
“Admission” for the thousands who turned out to be part of the festivities was a donation of their own to the food pantries.
Performer Melanie Doane and the CP house band entertained the crowd with holiday songs and Santa spent his time checking the lists of the youngsters in the crowd.
Holiday festivities continue just about everywhere this Saturday and Sunday.
A sampling follows. More events are in this week's TJ.

Another train & more...
Cobleskill Partnership Inc. is hosting its annual downtown holiday celebration Saturday, the Marines’ Toys for Tots train arrives in the afternoon, and CREST’s holiday bazaar is earlier in the day.
The CPI celebration will have a parade with floats and marching groups starting from Legion Drive at 5pm.
The parade, with Santa in tow, will march to Centre Park, where there will be carols and a tree-lighting ceremony.
Then, Santa will lead the crowd to the firehouse, where there will be arts and crafts and visits with Santa. The Cobleskill Fire Department Auxiliary will provide hot chocolate and cookies.
Any business or organization that wants to participate in the parade should call Maggie Jackman Pryor at 231-2076.
The Marines’ Toys for Tots train is scheduled to arrive at the firehouse at 3pm.
Santa, his Marine helpers and Canadian Pacific employees will distribute toys and winter clothing for kids.
The Marines will also deliver bags of gifts and clothing for local agencies to distribute to needy families.
Doors to the firehouse will open at 2pm, and there will be arts and crafts for kids while they wait for the train.
The CREST holiday bazaar will run from noon to 4pm at Ryder School in Cobleskill.
There will be free arts and crafts projects, hair and face painting, a silent auction and visits with Santa.
Also, there will be a gift boutique where children can shop for many items costing $1.
Returning this year are the book fair, with hundreds of titles, and Animaland, where children can build their own stuffed animal.
For more information, contact Becky Dostie at 234-0136.

A Victorian Christmas in Sharon...
Sharon Springs will hold its first Victorian Christmas Celebration this Saturday with festivities running from 9am-5pm.
The daylong event will feature a scavenger hunt, the hanging of the greens, and the New York premiere of “Mistletoe Mustache.”
Treasure maps for the scavenger hunt will be available to noon at NBT.
Cards will be filled in by merchants and at 4pm, a drawing at Studio North will draw the names of winners of prizes donated by Chamber of Commerce winners.
At 10am, Sharon Springs Central School students will decorate trees in front of NBT and the post office.
There will be a Victorian dance demonstration at Studio North at 1pm; at 2pm, staff from The American Hotel dressed as characters from “A Christmas Carol,” Santa, the Fabulous Beekman Boys and others will lead a stroll through downtown, followed by “Mistletoe Mustache,” performed on the second floor balcony of The American Hotel.
At 3pm, pianist Garth Roberts and local singer Austin Jetton will perform holiday music and throughout the day, there will be music and caroling at spots throughout the village.
Festivities will wrap up at 5pm, when the Sharon Rotary hosts a village tree lighting ceremony in front of NBT and the post office, followed by hot chocolate and caroling.

Tree lighting in Richmondville...
The Richmondville community will kick off the holidays Sunday with its annual tree lighting ceremony festivities at the fire house.
The event will run from 2-5pm.
Radez Principal Brian Dineen will read a Christmas story, Dennis Shaw will provide holiday music and Santa is expected to drop in for visits and photos.