Formosa Country Christmas – A Community Driven Winter Wonderland

Formosa Country Christmas is an annual demonstration of dazzling displays and decorations in the hamlet organized by a dedicated group of volunteers.

The event began as an initiative of the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority and has since transitioned to a volunteer community committee responsible for organizing the event with assistance from the Formosa Lions and many other community groups.

Formosa Country Christmas Committee Vice-Chair Shannon Wood and Treasurer Marlene Bross-Durrer attribute the committee’s yearly successes in crafting a winter wonderland to the passionate team of volunteers and enthusiastic community members.

Bross-Durrer and Wood give examples that include Formosa residents decorating their homes, the expertise of the artists and craftsmen in constructing the displays, and the efforts of Municipal staff. All are described as essential for Formosa Country Christmas to operate and grow year-over-year.

“This community has stepped forward like great gangbusters,” said Wood. “The community spirit in Formosa is phenomenal, it’s blown me away. We’re able to grow leaps and bounds because of the amount of people we’ve got involved.”

Committee representatives express the committee’s pride for capturing the character of the holiday season in a small-town and continuously repurposing home-made displays to provide unique experiences for attendees.

The committee estimates that 10,500 people attended the 2022 Formosa Country Christmas. Committee polling from past events demonstrate a strong attendance of local community members as well as a small contingent of international guests, including those from as far away as France and Japan.

Bross-Durrer and Wood explain that Formosa was originally selected to host their winter wonderland because of the available hydro capacity of the community. They also note that the committee has made great use of existing facilities, resources, and utilities to plan and operate the event.

To continue building the event within the community, Formosa Country Christmas Committee pays forward excess donations from the event to other initiatives in South Bruce and surrounding communities.

“We improve the [community] buildings as we go too,” said Wood. “If you have a successful event and you are pouring that money back into infrastructure, that is a big thing, it really does go both ways.”

The committee also notes that they receive non-monetary assistance from other South Bruce organizations, such as the Teeswater Agricultural Society, and likewise lend assistance wherever they can.

Learn more about Formosa Country Christmas at formosacountrychristmas.ca or visit its Facebook and Instagram pages. The Formosa Country Christmas Committee also has additional volunteer opportunities available for community members seeking to participate.

The 2023 Formosa Country Christmas will expand on the displays seen in previous years with more lights and giant exhibits. The event will feature a giant Santa Claus and snowman, and will introduce a new Christmas Card Lane.
The event will take place Nov. 30 – Dec. 4 from 5 – 9 P.M. each day in Formosa. Admission cost continues to be by donation only.

This article is part of an ongoing Community Revitalization series initiated by the Municipality of South Bruce.