Bacolod’s iconic miniature Christmas Village that is marking its silver anniversary this year has opened two months ahead of schedule in time for the MassKara Festival this October.
The silver anniversary of the village, located at the ancestral home of artist Bamboo Tonogbanua at San Juan Street in Bacolod City, was celebrated on Saturday, October 8.
And to mark its turning silver, it has undergone some major upgrades this year.
The village first opened in 1996 but because of the COVID-19 pandemic it was closed for two Christmases that is why its silver anniversary is only being marked this year, Tonogbanua, who also celebrated his birthday on Saturday, said.
Since the village started it has grown so big that it is now housed in two rooms from a single 4 by 8 feet table in 1996.
The six original houses from when the village first started have been moved to a 4 by 4 meter room to give them more prominence. They have also been repainted in pastel colors and their rooms and yard have undergone major refurbishing to give them a fresh Christmas look.
The rest of the magical Christmas village is located in an 8-meter by 10-meter room filled with thousands of miniature objects.
Among its other new additions is a Christmas tree in the middle of the room decorated with wooden toy soldiers and a busy Santa Claus climbing up and down a ladder.
A much larger Bethlehem village complete with a nativity scene at its center has also been added to the village, to put emphasis on what Christmas is all about.
Festive Christmas music continues to play from all corners of the room and tiny blinking lights illuminate the houses, carnival sites, restaurants, churches, ski areas, historic sites, and stores in the village.
Carnival rides twist and turn, trains weave through mountains, and tiny humans dance and skate in parks covered in snow.
The village also has a section filled with characters from Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and houses and historic landmarks representing almost every part of the world.
The tiny objects in the village have been collected by Tonogbanua during his travels to foreign lands and others are gifts from friends and strangers wanting to share in the joy of Christmas.
The village undergoes undergoes design upgrades every year so there is always something new to surprise visitors who have seen it before.
As a boy Tonogbanua was fascinated by pictures of festive snow-covered villages and Santa Claus on Christmas cards, which have been his inspiration for his 25-year Christmas village journey that has brought joy to thousands of visitors.
Visits to the village are only allowed by appointment as the COVID-19 pandemic is not really over yet, Tonogbanua said.*