Our second virtual Holiday event was a success! It started in the afternoon this year as we teamed up with South Branch Library for fun games, hot chocolate, stuffed goody bags, Santa and candy canes. We had a great turnout and met many neighbors while social distancing outside. The Knights of Columbus, Parents as Teachers and Mercado Fresco joined in the fun as well.
While in previous years we enjoyed gathering at Emerson Park, we decided to continue our new and improved traditions to ensure we kept the community safe! We all enjoyed freshly popped popcorn, candy and crafts provided in the goody bags from the warmth of our homes. We kicked off our event this year with unique never before seen drone footage of Argentine, transitioning to videos from organizations and people in our community, music from bands and games such as trivia. Prizes were raffled and people who participated in the virtual games had a chance to win prizes as well. We had a great time creating and participating in the event.
A new addition this year (which we plan to host during Silver City Day next year) was a tamale contest. Just days days before the virtual event we gathered with five volunteer judges to review submissions from six different participants. Our judges (life long residents and elected officials) included Mike Aguirre, Rep. Louis Ruiz, Kike Morales, Daniel Macias and Commissioner Christian Ramirez. We recorded the event to be included in our virtual event. We remained tight lipped about the winners until the virtual event so it would be a surprise to everyone. The submissions were from the Polo family, Santoyo family, Avalos family, Cabrera family and 2 from Mercado Fresco. The winners were the Cabrera family (3rd place), the Polo family (2nd place) and the Santoyo family (1st place). Each winner received a Mercado Fresco gift card. Shout out to the participating families and the judges for their time, effort, and belly real estate.
We hope you will all join us next year for another holiday community gathering where prizes and fun are guaranteed!