Spread the happy news: the Jones’s wonderful Christmas Village is back at Cassy’s Coffee House in Youbou for another season.
Starting Thursday, Dec. 5, the exciting collection of little trains, houses, shops, skating ponds, merry-go-rounds, bandshells, Christmas forests, and all the rest are going to be on display for the enjoyment of Valley folks of all ages.
The schedule is Thursdays and Fridays: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“It’s a huge amount of work,” said Donna Jones, who with her husband, Dennis, is an avid collector of Christmas villages.
“Last year it was going so well. But during that whole weekend before Christmas we couldn’t do anything because of that big storm. We were out there when the storm started. We were supposed to be showing Kindergarten kids through. Luckily the trees fell and they turned around and went back. Otherwise, we might have been trapped in there with all the Kindergarten children. Wouldn’t that have been fun? My husband Dennis and I had to go out on a 4×4 through the park to get out. What a nightmare!
“But it was sure a shame that we missed because we were doing so well. So we’re hoping to do even better this year. And Pat [co-owner of Cassy’s] has built a whole platform for us this year. It’s really spread out. It’s on two levels. It’s going to be amazing.
“It’s a whole new layout. It’s really starting to look professional. I’m very proud of it. We have four or five new houses and some other new little bits. And there’s a whole new layout to the waterfront and the river and all of that. The fantasyland castle is now way up on a hill with silver mountains behind it. Does it ever look pretty! We’re still working on it. We open Dec. 5 and it’s coming fast.”
Jones said the display is only open when Cassy’s Coffee House is open.
“During the weekdays they find to stay open after 2 p.m. isn’t profitable and kids can’t come then anyway. It’s better to have more time on the weekend.”
They’re raising money for cancer treatment at Cowichan District Hospital this year, so be sure to make a donation.
“Last year’s money went towards a new patient chair for the chemotherapy room. I found a lot of people who came said, ‘I don’t want to give my money to the cancer society’ so I thought, we’re going to make it more local and more personal. So, that’s what we’re doing,” Jones said.
After you’ve enjoyed the display, why not check out the gift shop at Cassy’s and buy a hot chocolate and a snack?
