Citizens walking the streets of downtown Mineola last week would have seen an incredible sight for Mineola, Texas: Santa in a kilt.

Those attending the event for any amount of time would have also seen cool events like Nat Hart playing a handmade Irish bodhran drum, elves roasting s’mores over a fire pit, and a whole slew of vendors selling interesting and diverse objects from around the world.

This neat and different object was “Celtic Christmas” put on by George Jones and the Lake Country Playhouse and the Historic Select Theater Saturday. They have put on the well-known Celtic Fest in Tyler for 10 years; this year, they wanted to move the idea to Mineola and see how it was received.

“We wanted to do something really cool for Christmas – something that hadn’t been done!” Jones said. 

While Jones jokingly said that the event took “40 million years” to plan and set up, it was all worth it as everyone at the event had a smiling face.

Madisyn, like many other kids and people “young at heart,” most enjoyed the free snowball-throwing at the event. Her parents, like some of the more careful attendees, enjoyed events like axe-throwing.

Not to be left out, of course, was the highlight of the event – Celtic Santa and his counterpart, Celtic Mrs. Claus. Wearing a kilt and traditional Scottish Glengarry hat, Santa was glad to appear for curious kids like Grace.

If this event sounds like something you would have liked to attend, fear not – Jones says this is his “ultimate goal” to bring Tyler’s Celtic Festival to Mineola eventually. Maybe “Celtic Christmas” will again make an appearance in 2024.

(See photos on Page 11A)