The harbour will once again be lit up over the Christmas season in the small community of Port de Grave, Newfoundland and Labrador.
In the time leading up to the Port de Grave Annual Boat Lighting, presented by TriNav Group of Companies, the Port de Grave Peninsula Heritage Society (PDGPHS) has been planning several events for the month-long festivities, though plans are not set in stone as of October 2024.
“We’re in the process of planning our events, so we’re not sure yet,” said Joyce Morgan, Program Manager for the PDGPHS. However, Spirit of Newfoundland has confirmed and will be performing in the community on December 21.
For the second year in a row, the Port de Grave boat lighting will be presented by TriNav Group of Companies. According to Morgan, the community’s partnership with TriNav has been a great addition to the traditional event.
“They’re going to be our presenting sponsor again this year, so we’re really happy about that,” said Morgan. “They were absolutely amazing.”
Many mainstays of the boat lighting will be present during the event. Around 50–60 boats will be at the Port de Grave harbour strung up with lights, which are traditionally lit on December 6, to ring in the holiday season. Local musicians will also be in attendance to provide entertainment to guests of the community.
Another longtime fixture of Port de Grave’s holiday season will continue his Christmas tradition of decorating his home in hundreds of candy canes. Ellsworth Petten, known locally as the Candy Cane Man, will make a return with the help of his son who comes home each year to aid his father as he nears 80 years old. In 2022, Petten’s home was festooned with 520 individual candy canes.
“His son actually comes home from Ontario now to help him for a week, because he’s getting up there,” said Morgan. “He’s 80 or pretty close to it. It’s a lot of work.”
Another major attraction, known locally as “The Crown,” will return for another Port de Grave Christmas, despite its originator Matthew Petten having passed in November 2023. Despite his passing, Petten’s family has carried on the tradition into 2024.
The local Pentecostal Church will also be returning to put on a production of Journey to Bethlehem.
“Last year, they had done a tremendous job with the Journey to Bethlehem. They held it for three nights, and they were blocked every night,” said Morgan. “I think this year they’re going to do less shows in a night, but more nights.”
A new addition in 2024 for the PDGPHS is an addition of an app to aid in their tourism efforts —
The Peninsula Experience. The app, which is available on both android and iPhone, allows guests to the Port de Grave Peninsula to know what is happening in the community year-round.
“Anybody can go in on that and download it for free. It will guide you to where the festivities are on Christmas or any other time of the year,” said Morgan.
The Port de Grave Annual Boat Lighting, presented by TriNav Group of Companies, starts at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, December 6. Festivities including the lighting of the crab pot tree, the Santa Clause parade, the annual Christmas market and more can be found at portdegravepeninsula.ca/experiences/christmas-in-the-harbour or on The Pensinsula Experience app.
