Did you know Santa doesn’t ride a sleigh when visiting Bayfield at Christmas? He arrives with bells ringing on a boat. A ferry boat. This is one of the ways Bayfield is truly unique when celebrating Christmas.

There’s nothing more picturesque than this small harbor town decorated in:

• Garland
• Twinkling lights
• Wreaths
• Red bows

Add in big fluffy white snowflakes falling against a dark sky filled with stars brightly shining, and it looks like something from a Norman Rockwell painting. It doesn’t get more classically Christmas than this.

This week in the midst of Thanksgiving celebrations, Bayfield city workers have been working hard at dressing Bayfield in its finest garland, lights, and bows.

At Seagull Bay, we’re doing the same and looking forward to greeting you during this most wonderful Christmas season.

In today’s blog, we’re highlighting three ways you can enjoy the magic of Christmas in Bayfield.

The Bayfield Tree Lighting Ceremony

Bayfield is truly eye-catching this time of year.

As you turn the corner from Highway 13 onto Bayfield’s historic Rittenhouse Avenue, you’re led right into town. Streets are lined with old-fashioned lamp posts wrapped in a garland made from boughs of evergreens, velvety bows, and plush Balsam wreaths.

At night the soft light of the lamp posts and the twinkling lights wrapped around them serve as a warm greeting when you visit our little town.

Bayfield’s historic Rittenhouse Avenue guides you toward the city harbor. In the summertime, the harbor is lined with sailboats and fishing tugs bobbing up and down.

In the wintertime, the lamp posts draw your eyes to a humble evergreen tree dazzling in the soft white lights on the city dock.

On November 26th, 2022, Bayfield will kick off this holiday season by gathering at the Bayfield Lakeside Pavilion at 5 p.m. to take part in the annual tree-lighting ceremony. People will gather to enjoy music, cookies, and holiday spirit.

Buy One of a Kind Christmas Gifts in Bayfield Shops

Bayfield is no stranger to retail. In Bayfield, we’re lucky to enjoy unique gift shops, artist galleries, and stores leading you to your next adventure.

Each shop in Bayfield has been carefully curated by its owners to give you merchandise you won’t find in your nearest shopping mall.

• Scandinavian gifts
• Handcrafted jewelry
• Hand-thrown pottery
• Paintings by local artists
• The latest in outdoor gear

Bayfield has something to offer each person on your gift list.

And to add to the fun of holiday shopping, the Bayfield Chamber of Commerce and other community members have created holiday shopping events to support our local businesses. Here are this year’s holiday shopping events.

Shop Hop Passport

Starting Friday, November 25th through Friday, December 16th, you can pick up your shopping passport at any one of the local shops and receive a stamp for spending $5 or more.

Visit 16 shops and enter your passport into a drawing for $100 in chamber dollars to be used at area businesses. Or visit 8 or more shops and enter your passport into a drawing for $50 in chamber dollars.

Shop Late Until 8 p.m.

On Friday, December 2nd, from 5 to 8 p.m., experience the magic of Bayfield at night while shopping for Christmas gifts.

This event is a local favorite as Bayfield residents and visitors walk amongst the twinkling lights from shop to shop, enjoying holiday deals, wine, chocolate martinis, and more.

Bayfield’s Annual Holiday Boutique

Saturday, December 3rd, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Bayfield’s Lakeside Pavilion opens its doors to local artists and vendors excited to share their crafts with you. You’ll find:

• Silversmiths
• Wreath Makers
• Bakery goods
• Handmade Soaps
• And More

Here you’re invited to shop amongst some of Bayfield’s most talented residents.

Wild Rice’s Heartwarming Holiday Market

Wild Rice Retreat invites you to join them on Friday, December 2nd, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, December 3rd, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to enjoy a festive event filled with:

• Local artwork
• Delicious food
• Mulled wine
• Hot cider
• Live music

There’s no shortage of shopping opportunities during the Christmas season in Bayfield.

Santa Rides the Ferry to Bayfield at Christmas

Do you remember the anticipation of Santa at Christmas time? As a kid, I remember being so excited I could hardly control myself.

I would look forward to watching all the Christmas specials, from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to Charlie Brown’s Christmas.

The anticipation would build as I would carefully craft my annual letter to Santa. And, of course, looking forward to the time when I could sit on his knee and tell him in detail what I would like for Christmas.

For the children in Bayfield, including my boys, it’s no different.

They bounce with excitement as we prepare for the Christmas season. In our home, our Christmas season consists of:

• Decorating our house
• Trudging through the woods to find the perfect Charlie Brown Christmas tree
• Axels and Ridges’s Christmas programs at school
• Making Christmas cookies
• Visiting Santa, of course

But did you know Santa rides the ferry boat to Bayfield and not a sleigh?

It’s true. Every year Santa arrives at Bayfield aboard the Madeline Island Ferry. Children and their families anxiously wait for him and his elves to come across Lake Superior to visit.

Our boys can’t wait to see him waving from the captain’s deck of the ferry in his red suit and hear the jingling of his bells.

This year Santa arrives at the Bayfield City Dock aboard the Madeline Island Ferry on Saturday, December 10th, at 11:45 a.m. From there, he’ll greet children of all ages and listen to their Christmas wishes from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bayfield Lakeside Pavillion.

Snuggle in at Seagull Bay and Enjoy Christmas in Bayfield

There’s no question that Bayfield is a special place to be during Christmas. From decorations and lights, to shopping and the anticipation of Santa, we invite you to experience the magic of Christmas in Bayfield.

We promise you’ll be able to feel the excitement this season brings. And at Seagull Bay, we offer the warmth and care to make this Christmas season extra special.

Whether you come with your special loved one or bring the family to visit Santa, we have a cozy space just for you.

Our rooms have been thoughtfully decorated with a simple and minimalistic design inviting you to push aside the stressors from your day-to-day routines and get cozy for a restful weekend in Bayfield.

Nestled on the banks of Lake Superior, with direct access to the Brownstone Trail, you can easily slip on your snow boots and stroll into town to enjoy the magic of Christmas in Bayfield.

BOOK NOW and start planning your weekend.

The Carrier Family,

Molly, Isaac, Axel, Ridge, and Banks

QUICK LINKS:

Hometown Holidays – Bayfield

Bayfield Holiday Boutique 2022

Heartwarming Holiday Market at Wild Rice Retreat