Santa will be coming to the Chenango County Arts Council stage this weekend. Above Santa visits downtown Norwich following the Parade of Lights in 2019. (Photos by Tyler Murphy)

NORWICH – Chenango Arts Council is very excited to announce that Santa Claus is making a stop over in Norwich, New York.

On Saturday December 19 from 1 to 3 p.m., Santa Takes the Stage on the Martin W. Kappel stage at the Arts Council, which is located at 27 West Main Street in Norwich.

The event will be safe, socially distanced, and free and the Arts Council extends many thanks to the Norwich Theater Company for their collaboration.

While folks are waiting in the lobby to see Santa, kids can also leave a Letter for Santa, that he’ll take back to the North Pole with him.

Plus, our good friends at NBT Bank are providing a holiday greeting and performance video from singer songwriter Matt Nakoa, that can only be seen on Saturday at the Arts Council. Its official premiere will be at NBT, and we will broadcast it publicly later in December, so stay tuned for more about that.

All of this information can be found on our website www.ChenangoArts.org, our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and you can call us at 607-336-2787 for more information.

The pandemic has hit all of the arts really hard and we’re no exception. We’ve had to cancel all of our live performances pretty much until further notice, well into 2021. Our gallery is open by appointment – in fact our annual Members Show opens on Tuesday December 15th – unfortunately, we’re not able to have our usual in person receptions. But we also have recently had a great poetry workshop, which was also held online, and we have other online workshops coming up in the new year.

In order for the Arts Council to continue to provide support for our artists, to promote them and keep them working, we are very happy to tell everyone about our new Artists Catalog.

If you’re looking for a special, unique and unusual holiday present, this is the place. It’s called Your Guide to the New World of Arts and Culture. You can look at it on our website www.chenangoarts.org, and flip through the various LOCAL artists, arts organizations, performers, presenters and innovators – pick one, then the Arts Council will arrange for them to perform LIVE for you via the internet – Facebook, Zoom, Google, etc. For instance, how cool would it to see a private Magic Show, where the magician knows your name and you can speak directly with him, without leaving the comfort of your couch! Or take a personalized drawing or painting class without leaving your home.

The price for a 45 to 60-minute event is $200. You’ll be making a huge impact on supporting our struggling member artists, and will help the Arts Council continue to provide the arts and arts education to our students and community members well into the future. We also have sponsorship opportunities for organizations such as schools, nursing homes or group homes that are interested in sharing events with students and residents.

Everyone has family or friends that they’re not going to be able to see in person during the holidays. And think of parents or grandparents that are nervous about leaving their homes but still want to be with family. Call the Arts Council at 607-336-2787, schedule an Event viewing, share the cost with everyone from around the country, or around the world! And learn a few dance steps together! Take a private tour of the Chenango County Historical Society or other cultural institutions. There are so many categories to choose from.




By Arts Council Executive Director Alecia ONeill,