Fidalgo Island Rotary got ho-ho-holly this past weekend with Celebrate the Season, bringing a little bit of the North Pole to Anacortes! Each year, the FUN Club teams up with the Anacortes Schools Foundation to bring the festive event to our little seaside town. We start the day with a parade down the main street, culminating in an all-day family festival at the Port Building. This year, we added the Gingerbread Building Contest on Sunday, Dec. 8. Click to view more photos, videos and the highly-anticipated results of the Gingerbread Building Contest! 
 
The day starts out with a fun parade down Commercial Avenue, where Fidalgo Island Rotary brings its non-precision tractor team out for its sole appearance of the year. The tractors dance and drive their way down the main street in town, all while handing out candy and joy to kids on the street. Have you ever seen Santa and the John Deere Reindeer? If not, you're missing out! 
 
 
 
Next, the party heads into the Port Transit Shed near the water, where a magical winter wonderland awaits families! There are crafts, live music, sweet treats and all sorts of activities for families and Rotarians alike. Play mini golf against the Grinch (aka Chris Long) or watch some of our more musically-inclined Rotarians wow the crowd with Christmas tunes and holiday songs. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
On Sunday, many groups gathered to flex their architectural muscles at the Gingerbread Building contest. 
 
 
Judges included: Erin Walsh, from La Creme Bakery; John Small, Anacortes Chief of Police; and Collette Weeks, editor of the Skagit Valley Herald. 
In the Student Division, the YES Student Team took BOTH first and second place. Vagabond Restaurant took first place and your very own Fidalgo Island Rotary Club took second place in the adult division. The Arts Festival Committee took first, and Strandberg Construction took second place in the Builders Division. 
 
 
Thank you to everyone who helped out and made this event an incredible success! Merry Christmas, happy holidays and have a safe, wonderful holiday season!