Downtown Paw Paw’s Christmas in the Village, held Friday and Saturday, Dec. 12 and 13, saw the first ever nighttime Lighted Christmas parade and Tree Lighting ceremony Friday night. This year, the north grounds of the Van Buren County Courthouse served as the site for the Tree Lighting ceremony. Roman and Ava Plaszczak were parade Grand Marshals, while Paul DeYoung was honored prior to the parade as the inaugural recipient of the Community Ambassador Award. Paw Paw High School’s Voices of the Future provided holiday musical selections on the courthouse steps following the tree lighting. Courier-Leader photos/Paul GarrodA new feature this year during Downtown Paw Paw’s Christmas in the Village was Kringle Town, located on Paw Paw Street, on the north side of the Van Buren County Courthouse. It featured old-world charm and handcrafted gifts in wooden market houses donated by Meyer Wood Products. A pair of Belgian horses provided wagon rides to Christmas in the Village attendees on Saturday. An ice sculptor spent several hours Saturday morning and early afternoon carving Christmas in the Village 2025 from a large block of ice. Courier-Leader photos/Paul GarrodSanta kept busy Saturday, appearing in photos with children and families at The Carnegie Center, downtown Paw Paw. The Paw Paw Chamber of Commerce office was the site of a face painter and a variety of crafts for youngsters to make while there. Courier-Leader photos/Paul; GarrodSome of the many Lighted Christmas Parade participants included the Paw Paw American Legion, and Paw Paw Public Schools Transportation Department, who captured top honors with its lighted school bus. Other entries include the Van Buren County Road Commission with its snowplow truck and painted plow featuring Peanuts’ cartoon characters, Charlie Brown and Snoopy, and an entry from the Paw Paw Alumni Association. At the conclusion of the parade, Santa Claus made his grand entry on Michigan Avenue, waving to parade goers who braved the chilly temperatures. Courier-Leader photos/Paul Garrod Paw Paw Alumni Assoc. photo/Courtesy Paw Paw Public Schools
