Knowlton is celebrating the 18th edition of its Midnight Madness event this Saturday (Dec. 10) with organizers hoping to bring people together from near and far to celebrate the holiday season.
Brainchild of Lucy Hoblyn, owner of Brome Lake Books in Knowlton, Midnight Madness is about getting people in the Christmas spirit and supporting local merchants and business owners.
There will be various activities taking place in the downtown core, including caroling and movies in the park, for people to discover what the village is all about.
“This year we have a brand new committee participating in the organization of Midnight Madness. It’s our 18th year and we are very proud of it,” said Maria Cordaro, coordinator of tourism for the Town of Brome Lake.
The new committee is made up of Tamara Hamelin, owner of La Touche Finale; Patti Mason, owner of Panier Champetre; and Cordaro.
“Lucy Hoblyn is still a consultant for the event because it’s her baby, she is still very much implicated and participates. She’s the heart of it so we are always calling her up for advice,” Cordaro added.
Midnight Madness is a one night event that takes place every December. It involves the hustle and bustle of Knowlton’s downtown core from 5 p.m. to midnight.
“The whole town of Knowlton is open to receive visitors and residents to basically celebrate Christmas. That night there is going to be 27 stores that are going to be open for the event with lots of specials and goodies. (…) Our merchants are amazing, they wear their hearts on their sleeve. Basically, we wouldn’t be able to do this without them,” said Cordaro.
This year’s event will also have three additional markets at different locations in the village for a combined total of 34 merchants.
“It’s going to be quite a big market this year. There’s going to be gift ideas for everyone and we are very happy about that,” said Cordaro.
There are some changes to this year’s event that may surprise some regular Midnight Madness shoppers. Typically, residents look forward to the horse carriage rides that are offered, but that won’t be the case this year.
“Unfortunately, for health purposes and health reasons, they won’t be there that night. We will have a beautiful red train for the occasion, which will be from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. We are also going to block Chemin Lakeside for the first time in 18 years from Victoria Street to Chemin Knowlton. It’s going to be very secure for people to walk around with their children or just walk around to enjoy the festivities,” explained Cordaro.
Other activities include the projection of short Christmas films, a bonfire, and caroling, open to anyone that’s interested in joining in, at the Pettes Memorial Library.
“There will also be carols at Theatre Lac-Brome from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. It’s the Eastman Choir that’s composed of a dozen choristers who will perform Christmas carols in several languages like French, English, and Spanish. There’s going to be lots of activities that night,” highlighted Cordaro.
Cordaro has been the coordinator of tourism for the town for six years and she emphasized how much the event has grown as a result of community collaboration.
“Mainly it’s because of all the time of the committee, and especially Lucy Hoblyn who has worked relentlessly every year to make the magic happen. We’re very lucky that the merchants and the community really gets involved and makes this evening a really special one,” she exclaimed.
The first year that the town was involved in Midnight Madness, the village had about 2,000 visitors. Last year, Cordaro estimated that there were at least 8,000 people that attended.
“I can tell you that all of our efforts are to bring the community together, bring the visitors together, give the visitors a beautiful experience so that they come back, and to show them what we’re all about,” she said.
Listen to the full interview below: