Schenectady City Hall offers day of family fun

PHOTOGRAPHER: Patrick Dodson

Kara Merays, 5 years old, of Schenectady, hugs Santa during the Downtown Schenectady City Hall-iday at City Hall on Saturday, December 13, 2014.

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Six-year-old Ariell Pidgeon wore a heart-shaped balloon hat with a balloon dog wrapped around it.

Standing in a crowded City Hall, with her grandfather holding her hand, the Schenectady girl looked like she was ready to break free of his grip and run to the next fun thing.

Her grandfather, Mike Weddle, also of Schenectady, said they’d be seeing Santa Claus next — but she had something else in mind.

“I want to color,” she said.

Hundreds of children packed into City Hall for the 11th annual City Hall-iday, hosted by the Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corp. The family-friendly affair featured caroling by Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons students, ornament making and coloring for kids, horse-drawn carriage rides around downtown, pictures with Santa and holiday shopping and dining deals at local businesses.

“It’s good for the kids,” said Weddle, who brought 10 grandchildren. “Everybody likes it.”

Julia Hayden wore an elf costume as she ran the coloring station.

“The young elves are up helping make the toys; the older elves get to come down and be with Santa,” said Hayden, director of development for Schenectady Daycare Nursery, one of many community groups that took part in the four-hour event.

Two hours in, at about 2 p.m., she said more than 200 kids had colored, with some choosing a gingerbread man, while others colored Santa riding in his sleigh as part of The Daily Gazette’s annual Christmas coloring contest.

“Everybody has smiled, I’ve gotten a few wishes for Santa, and I hear that what they are really excited about is Christmas Eve,” Hayden said.

Ebony Wells of Schenectady stepped off the horse-drawn carriage after it arrived outside City Hall, visibly chilly from the wintery ride.

Her daughter, Jahaiya, 7, was all smiles, with a snowman painted on her right cheek, a balloon animal in one hand and a balloon in the other. More than anything else she saw on the tour, Jahaiya said she liked the horses right in front of her.

“She has fun doing the activities inside; there’s a variety of things for them to do,” Ebony Wells said.

“It’s good to have something that they can do inside and not be freezing.”