Childhood memories inspire Junction holiday window displays.
Passersby watch as Creative Children's Dance Centre students perform from the Nutcracker on Dundas West, during Santa in the Junction festivities in 2010. The event is back this year, Saturday, Nov. 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
File photo/MARY GAUDET
When Moe McGuinty was a kid, he can remember his father piling the family into the car to make the hours-long journey from North Bay to Toronto where he and his siblings would stand outside Eaton's department store window to watch the Christmas mechanical window displays.
Although he jokes about having to brave the bitter cold and endure the long drive, McGuinty said he was inspired by those trips to recreate the feeling which emanated from the department store window in The Junction.
For the second year, The Junction Business Improvement Area (BIA), of which McGuinty is executive director, will present a Santa in The Junction event, this time boasting as many as 14 magical window displays on Saturday, Nov. 26.
Except these storefront windows won't feature any mechanics, but rather children from the Creative Children's Dance Centre performing scenes from The Nutcracker.
"People strolled up and down the streets and watched the kids through the window," said McGuinty of last year's event. "It rips your heart out, it's magic."
It was so well received by the crowds who attended, the BIA board decided to do it again this year, although on a much bigger scale. The storefront entertainment has grown from four windows to 14, which includes Mrs. Claus reading stories, the dance school performers, guitarist Wendell Ferguson, who has played with the likes of Shania Twain, The Dixie Chicks and Gordon Lightfoot and pianist Norm Amadio.
In another window, Santa will be setting up a satellite workshop and has asked some of his elves in the North Pole to come with him to The Junction. Mavety Street will be closed down to make room for a ball hockey rink.
During Santa's visit to The Junction, an Acts of Sweetness cookie truck will roll in with treats. There will also be a vendor selling roasted chestnuts, performances by The Junction Children's Choir and strolling carolers in costume.
"We're the only BIA that's thought of putting live entertainment in their windows," said McGuinty. "We're so confident in how well it will be received that we have posters going up in subway stations in the west end. We're expecting a big crowd."
The event takes place on Saturday, Nov. 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.