By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times
Olive Hill’s annual holiday event, Christmas at the Depot, returns next Monday (December 15) with lots of activities and gifts for local kids of all ages.
“It’s a big, free event where kids – and anyone else – comes to the Depot,” event volunteer Lisa Messer Conley said of the event. “Everything that is set up is free, and kids 13 and under get a present from Santa Claus.”
Conley said the annual event is always held on a weekday, so as not to interfere with local sports being played in the area. This year they will be giving out coats, blankets, hats, and gloves. There will also be free cookies and other treats, she said.
“There will be all sorts of different sweets and treat, as well as books, coloring books, and of course the toys from Santa,” she noted.
Conley said this year the good folks from Cash Express will be standing in for Santa’s Elves and doing all the ‘heavy lifting’ for that part of the event.
For the cold winter night, Conley said there will lots of ‘warming items’ such as hot chocolate and s’mores. Trail Town will be providing the s’mores, Conley said, and the Shrine Club will be fixing free hotdogs to ward off the chill. New Again Ministries will also be doing soups, she said, for the two-hour event.
“It’s going to be bitterly cold. But we have done this for years, so we expect that. And Trail Town will have a fire going to make the s’mores,” she pointed out, so those attending the event can warm up while waiting on their campground favorite.
Conley said Christmas at the Depot is always a big event every year.
“We give out between 400 and 500 gifts to kids,” she said.
While it was initially an inside event, it quickly grew beyond the interior of the Depot and spread to fill the parking lot in spite of inclement weather. Flexibility, Conley explained, is key. The event even converted to a ‘drive through’ event during the COVID years as they kept it going for the residents of Olive Hill. It’s that important, she said, to the entire community, both those who volunteer and those who come out to participate.
“It is the most blessed event I have ever experienced in my entire life,” Conley said. “Because you get to see the people who need it, and you get to see all the smiles and laughter of the kids.”
“And we are also helping homeless people,” Conley added. “It is just a truly awesome event.”
Currently, there are 13 different groups, organizations, and churches that are setting up to give out free items, she said.
“The process can be a lot of work, but it is so much fun.”
Christmas at the Depot begins at 6 pm on Monday, December15, and will go until 8 pm. Conley urges anyone wanting to be involved to come to downtown Olive Hill and enjoy all the treats, prizes, and blessings. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy the holidays with friends and neighbors, all while helping those in need.
“I can’t think of a better way to start the Christmas season,” Conley said.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
