Six months ago, the Kajder family moved to Athens from Pittsburgh,
where the magic of a white Christmas is the rule rather than the
exception. So it’s understandable that Sara and Matthew Kajder and their
two young sons, Brennan and Matthew, might have been a little anxious
about the kind of Christmas they’d find here in the South.“We’ve been trying to find some Christmas magic,” Sara Kajder said.
And judging from the smiles on the family’s faces as they strolled through the Festival of Trees at The Classic Center in downtown Athens on Saturday morning, they’d found that magic.
The Kajders were among the crowd taking in all the festivities of Christmas at The Classic Center, an event benefiting Extra Special People, a Watkinsville-based organization that provides programs and support for children and young adults with developmental disabilities.
By 10 a.m., Brennan and Matthew had already picked out their favorite tree in the long line of fancifully decorated greenery outside The Classic Center’s Grand Hall. “The Bulldog tree,” Brennan said.
The tree, sponsored by the University of Georgia’s football coaching staff in honor of head coach Mark Richt and his wife, Katharyn, features cutouts of red football helmets. Neither of the boys had heard of Georgia’s football team before coming to Athens, but they’re both now dedicated fans, according to their mom.
Interestingly, amid all of the seasonal decorations at Christmas at The Classic Center, it was a piece of heavy machinery that brought Christmas home for the Kadjers — the Zamboni machine clearing the ice rink in the Grand Hall for skating.
“Who would have thought that a Zamboni would bring the Christmas spirit?” asked Sara Kajder.
And while the Kajder boys’ choice of a favorite tree was understandable, the was another tree at The Classic Center that captured the imaginations of a lot of other youngsters.
“I like the tree that has the elf legs,” said Camilla Bryans, who came to The Classic Center on Saturday from Greshamville with her mother, Marie. Sponsored by Perno Burns Financial Advisory Group, “the elf tree,” formally titled “The Elf Made Me Do It,” features at least a dozen pairs of red-and-white-stockinged elfin legs sticking out from among its branches.
Camilla and her mom were taking in all of Christmas at The Classic Center on Saturday. Before looking at the trees, Camilla had breakfast with Santa — “I want a computer tablet," she said when asked about her Christmas list — and she and her mom were eager to get on the ice at the skating rink.
Saturday would be the second time for Camilla to go ice skating. “The first time, I fell down three times,” she said.
Christmas at The Classic Center continues today, and will be back again next weekend. For complete information on the event, including a schedule and ticket prices, go online to www.classiccenterchristmas.com.
Saturday marked one of the busiest days ever at The Classic Center, downtown Athens’ convention and performance space, according to Executive Director Paul Cramer. Two thousand people were expected to attend Christmas at The Classic Center, in addition to the 200 people who showed up for breakfast with Santa, and another 2,000 people were expected for an evening Christmas concert by the Athens Symphony. Another 700 people were using the facility for a convention, and the center also was hosting two wedding receptions, according to Cramer.
“This is what we were built for,” he said.
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