North Webster kicked off the Christmas season on Saturday with family activities and a visit from Santa at the North Webster Community Center.

Layclan Saylor, pictured, wasn’t afraid of the jolly old elf, but did take a minute to size him up.

At the North Webster Community Christmas Party on Saturday, visitors were also encouraged to take a moment to write a note on a card that will be delivered to service men and women who are overseas. Destiny Lauries, at right, a Michigan resident, was visiting family members in town and added her message to the cause.

Lakeland Youth Center in Syracuse was also packed Saturday afternoon as parents, children, grandparents and friends made a family affair out of the center’s annual gingerbread house-building event.

Below, Delaney Delagrange, 7,  prepares her milk cartoon with the first layer of frosting that will make the graham cracker stick to it as she makes her own gingerbread house.

Hannah Hughes (see gallery) was a little challenged by below-freezing temperatures and an intermittent blizzard during Saturday’s Holiday Magic celebration in Syracuse. Nonetheless, she waited out Santa’s arrival at Crosson Mill Park so she could ask him to bring her Angry Birds for Christmas.

Syracuse ralso ang in the season on Saturday with the annual Holiday Magic event at Crosson Mill Park. Live reindeers, quick-stepping cloggers, singers and Santa himself joined the fun. As part of the festivities Syracuse Elementary School’s fifth grade Special Choir sang several numbers, including one a comical song about what they wanted for Christmas.