UPDATE: Holiday Party at the Plaza with Added Video

There must have been a thousand people in the on Friday night.

Some had come to shop, some to see Santa, but all looked like they were having a great time enjoying the warmth and friendliness of our little patch of Paradise.

Did someone say "Patch"? and were cutting cake in the Plaza, celebrating the

Also in the Plaza were the kids in the Santa Rosa Junior College Choir, many clearly too young for junior college, all dressed in cute little animal costumes.

Elsewhere a brass band played carols, a children's choir sang them, a jazz trio drew a crowd and a solo clarinetist held his own at the busy

The holiday festivities were presented by the , and produced by the . Chamber president was on hand, looking seasonably cheery, to explain the benefit of the event.

"The beneift is to be reached in that hopefully people shop in town. But it's also our way of giving back - it's a gift," she said.

Clearly lots of people enjoyed the gift. A few of the comments overheard by a wandering included:

"Anything in that store could go into my house. I love that kind of stuff."

"There's lots of places for skinny people."

"How gauche. Everyplace is serving wine. I knew there was a reason to love this town."

"I don't see their Christmas tree." The Christmas Tree Lighting is Sunday at the Plaza in a separate event. There is also a  today (Saturday) in Geyserville.

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