11/03/2025
COMMUNITY CARING+FUN=CHRISTMAS IN KINSALE: DEC. 6, 2025
Be here – in spirit or in person - to make a difference with loving kindness
This very special event held annually on the first Saturday in Dec. (Dec. 6, 2025), is co-hosted by the Kinsale Foundation, Cople District VFD, and YOU, to raise money for charities that benefit our less fortunate neighbors: This group has been expanded to five in 2025 – it includes United Ministries of Westmoreland County (focusing on assistance in housing emergencies), in addition to our longstanding group of The Haven Shelter, Zion Baptist & Ebenezer Methodist Food Pantries, & Westmoreland Christmas Program’s outpouring of Christmas Gifts for needy kids and senior citizens,
YOUR HELP IS VITAL! We can’t do it without YOU, Kinsale Friends! Invite relatives, friends & neighbors to participate. Even if y’all can’t be here on the day itself, you can pre-bid on auction items, bake cookies, donate freely, and share the love!
For more information: Lynn Norris, 804-472-2013, [email protected].
(a) what to do Leading Up To Christmas in Kinsale
Vendors are welcome: Reserve your spot now! BOTH INSIDE LEFT BAY OF THE FIREHOUSE & OUTSIDE IN PARK YOU MUST BRING YOUR OWN TABLES AND CHAIRS. THIS IS A CHANGE!!! Contact Charlie and Anne Speeckaert for more info. 804-472-9563. [email protected]
Auction items sought: Tasteful, fun, unique and delightful auction items are needed NOW for the silent auction on Dec. 6, 2025 to benefit our less fortunate neighbors. (Auction also includes cakes [especially homemade fruit cakes!], bread, pickles, jam and pies). Try to have non-perishable items at Kinsale Museum as early as possible, DEFINITELY BEFORE Thanksgiving weekend.
Angels’ names needed: We need your help NOWwith names for the Angel Tree that will be going up right after Thanksgiving in the Gazebo! If someone in your circle of family or friends with Kinsale connections has died since Thanksgiving of 2024, we will put his or her name on an ANGEL to go on the Memorial Tree. THIS IS FREE!!! Call 804-472-2013 (Lynn Norris) or 804-472-2723 (Rosemary Fauntleroy Wilson) or email angels’ names (and dates of death if POSSIBLE) to [email protected]
Memorial lights donations, please: ALSO, don’t forget that one VERY IMPORTANT way to donate to this event is to honor or commemorate friends and family with a “light” on the Memorial Tree. It is $5 per name. This list is shared via Kinsale Friends email). Make sure to tell us if they are being honored (still living) or remembered (after death). Make the check to Kinsale Museum, mail it and your list to P.O. Box 307, Kinsale, Va. 22488.
Gifts for seniors and people at The Haven Shelter are a big part of this event. Your generosity is astounding. SO KIND of you to share LOVELY things with others who would NOT have anything under the tree!
What kind of things FOR SENIOR CITIZENS? Linens: NEW or freshly-laundered GENTLY USED blankets, bed sheets, towels, comforters, quilts. Warm clothes (if gently used, freshly laundered): Socks, underclothing, pretty scarves, hats, slippers, gloves, warm sweaters, pretty sweaters, hoodies, jackets. Toiletries: travel size or larger unopened body lotion, soaps, shampoo, mouthwash, tooth brushes & paste, band-aids, aspirin, combs, brushes, other toiletries. Paper & cleaning products : toilet paper, paper towels, diapers, Depends, dish & laundry soap, body wash, etc. Canned food meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, soup. Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, candy. Gift cards very welcome as they can put them toward what they need most. Bring to the Museum starting now; I get them to Westmoreland Christmas Program weekly.
What kind of things FOR THE HAVEN Almost new fun: Kids’ toys, puzzles, coloring books & crayons, books. Cozy new blankets & coats. Things YOU would want for Christmas if YOU were a kid away from home at Christmas useful and fun things. Batteries, gift cards. These are really really validating as then they can buy the right size for their children. Nourishment: Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, nourishing snacks like power bars, canned meats, canned fruit, instant oatmeal. Toiletries: Paper towels, toilet paper, laundry & dish soap & cleaning products, Pampers, body lotion, hand soaps & body wash, shampoo, tooth brushes & paste, band-aids, aspirin, combs, brushes, other toiletries. VERY IMPORTANT: personal hygiene items for women. Bring to Museum starting now; we’ll get these to the Haven.
COOKIES COOKIES COOKIES URGENT CALL FOR COOKIES
We need HUNDREDS OF DOZENS of homemade cookies! Cookies must be delivered to the Ice Cream Parlor 10-5 on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025 if at all possible or at the very latest by 9:30 a.m. on Sat., Dec. 6. You can make these NOW and FREEZE THEM or bake right before the event!!! Call Ann Lewis at 804-472-2344 to let her know you will bake at least 4, 5 or 10 dozen or more cookies this year. We keep running out ALL TOO SOON! Cookie sales start at 11 on Dec. 6, 2025.
(b) what’s happening WHEN on Dec. 5 & 6
On FRIDAY Dec. 5, 2025
Bring homemade cookies to Ice Cream Parlor, Museum, 10-5. Include list of all ingredients specify type of nuts, yr name, phone.
Decorate your house or business Light up decorations by 4 p.m. Friday & keep them lit up all evening on Saturday, too! Please let me know about exciting decorations in your neighborhood to mention in email!!! (804-472-2013, [email protected])
On SATURDAY, Dec. 6. 2025, some events start at 8, others at 10, others at 11, or noon or later!
Starting at 8 a.m.:
8-10 Breakfast is served: The Masons are serving pancake breakfast ($5 per person) from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Dec. 6, the morning of Christmas in Kinsale, at the Masonic Lodge at the corner of Catnap Lane and Great House Road (70 Great House Road). They donate the proceeds to the Kinsale Foundation to help with this important fund-raiser for our less fortunate neighbors.
8 on Vendors will be setting up in the Firehouse left bay & in the Park for Christmas Bazaar. Vendors must bring own tables, chairs! In 2024, it was too cold for firetrucks to be outside; all vendors had to move to the park; HOPEFULLY NOT in 2025!
by 9:30 Bring cookies. If you didn’t bring your homemade cookies to the Ice Cream Parlor on Friday, do it before 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. REMEMBER, the cookie sale itself starts at 11! Your WONDERFUL homemade cookies sell out rather quickly.
Starting at 10 a.m.:
10-12 Live Music, Paul Ludwig plays his trumpet in the gazebo
10-4 Christmas Bazaar. Inside vendors in left bay of Kinsale Firehouse. Outside vendors in Park.
10-3:15 Silent Auction in Museum, except kid stuff in the lefthand room of the Ice Cream Parlor. Auction includes pound cakes, fruit cakes, art, delightful gift items such as Christmas China. Bids close at 3:15, winners listed by 3:45. Pay after tree lighting.
10-5 Toybox Raffle tickets available 2/$5; 4/$10; 8/$20 beside the Gazebo or at the Museum. Todd Ransone’s stunning chest – made with golden interior and wood from the old water tower at Potomac Supply – is ALREADY on display at the Museum. Winner’s name will NOT BE DRAWN at Christmas in Kinsale. It will be drawn at 2 p.m. on Sat., Dec. 20, 2025 at the Museum to allow for the optimal ticket-purchase time. We ordered 750 tickets. Let’s beat last year’s sales of 622!
11-3 Visit Gray Barn Antiques, 62 Bank St. in the old Ford dealership, to enjoy Sharon Beninghove’s antiques front; James Beninghove’s trains in back, Morning coffee and doughnuts free to the public.
Starting at 11
11-gone Cookie Sale inside Ice Cream Parlor! PLEASE HELP WITH both baking AND buying! Contact Ann Lewis at 804-472-2344 to promise your 4-dozen (or 5 or 10 dozen or more!) cookies for this fund-raiser. $6/dozen, $16/3 dozen
11- 3:30 Kids Zone in firehouse, righthand bay. Aimee Dillon, Auxiliarists, family, friends. Christmas stories, games, face-painting by Mel and more. Santa will join them RIGHT AFTER THE PARADE!
11-4 Great food in the park by the Firemen: fried oysters, oyster stew, crabcakes, burgers, etc.
11-4:30 Stop by the Old Bank any time from 11AM - 4:30PM to enjoy what Katy & Josh are pouring at the pop-up bar. There will also be a class in holiday cocktail making at 2 PM, $15/person – you’ll get a cocktail like holiday punch or special old-fashioned.
11:30 Parade line-up: Everybody loves a parade: golf carts, ponies, bikes, tractors and more. Line up on Brook Ave.
11:45 Kids! Time to parade! Gather at front door of the post office to join parade through town with Santa.
NOON ONWARD
12:00 PARADE wends its way around town, ending at Gazebo.
12:30-2:30 AFTER THE PARADE, in the RIGHTHAND bay of the FIREHOUSE, Santa will greet kids in person to find out their Christmas wishes and dreams. Make sure to put in your name AND PHONE # with Santa’s helpers to be a contender in the Cople District VFD bike raffle, drawing at 3:45 beside the Gazebo. (Remember, Kids Zone excitement is in the right-hand bay)
12:30-3 Live music, Hard to Tell band including Ricky Wilkins (O’Holy Night!) will play in the bandstand in the Park.
12:30-3 FREE Mule Wagon Rides We are so pleased to note that Leslie Davis & his mules Ike & Mike will be here again this year. Mule Whisperers Vicky Shaw & Margaret Withers will help streamline the event, which starts by & returns to Gazebo’s memorial brick walkway on Bank Street. As 8 or so folks can fit into the wagon each time, you might get to have more than one ride!
3:15 Bidding ends on silent auction. You do not have to be present to win your bid. Museum closes while we tally. Tally completed around 3:30 or so. We print up a list which will be available outside the Museum and will arrive via email a little while later. If you don’t pay Saturday, before or after tree lighting, you’ll hear from Lynn about pickup from 10-2 on Sunday, Dec. 7, or ensuing weekends Fri. or Sat., 10-5. NOTE re pick-up: Museum MAY be closed Dec. 26-27 and/or Jan. 2-3. Not sure yet.
3:45 Names will be drawn at the Gazebo for BIKE GIVE-AWAY, generously donated by Kinsale’s fire fighters.
4:00 Memorial Tree lighting in the Gazebo. 2025 angels’ names will be read, followed by a prayer from Rev. Rebecca Rumburg. Families & friends of angels on the tree invited to join hands around the tree in a scene filled with love and light. Thanks in advance to Turner Waughtel for finding a great tree and to generous Kinsale Friends for decorating the Gazebo area.
FLASHBACK TO LAST YEAR: Christmas in Kinsale 2024 saw a glorious outpouring of love despite chilly weather
Masonic breakfast lent everyone strength for the cloudy, then rainy and rather chilly day. The Masons donated so generously!
After taking in $21,809, we deducted $2,764 in expenses, escrowed $2,000 for 2025, then donated $4,203 each to 4 area charities.
Multiple musicians wove a skein of melodies, area homes were decorated fit to beat the band. CDVFD’s generously donated bikes and parade were well received, as was the delicious festive feast they sold.
Thank YOU so much for the huge, heart-warming heaps of beautiful coverlets, handmade quilts, spreads, shawls, hand-knitted items, sweaters, jackets, towels, warm clothes, hats, linens, food, gift cards and more which you so kindly gave. These were channeled through the Museum to the Haven, to senior citizens, and kids.
Your donations in memorial lights, for the mules, and other special moments were key to funding this special day. Leslie Davis’s mesmerizing mules Ike and Mike clippety-clopped despite the rain, starring in the parade and charming kids and seniors alike.
Todd Ransone’s totally transcendent toybox received huge numbers of compliments and raised $1,550 in raffle money. Vividly vivacious vendors helped folks fill their Christmas lists. There were around 140 angels on the memorial tree.
Captivating creative cookies were truly outstanding. MANY folks gave WONDERFUL donations in lieu of baking.
The silent auction netted $7,400. Cople District Volunteer Fire Department Cople District Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary The Slips // Kinsale Northern Neck National Heritage Area
