News / Clark County News

Reindeer star attraction at Uptown Village block party

Two who power Santa’s sleigh show up with bells on

By Stevie Mathieu, Columbian Assistant Metro Editor

Published: December 6, 2015, 9:55pm

5 Photos

Children, including 3-year-old Andria Fuhrer, second from right, call for the reindeer Sunday afternoon at the Christmas block party on Main Street in Vancouver. Two reindeer, Blitzen and Candy, were visiting from the Spokane area. (Greg Wahl-Stephens for the Columbian) Photo Gallery

Children and their parents crowded around a pen in the middle of Vancouver’s Main Street.

“See, look in there!” a boy exclaimed. A woman remarked, “Aw, look at them.”

Three-year-old Andria Fuhrer reached through the bars of the enclosure and pleaded “come here” as reindeer Blitzen and Candy milled around inside the pen Sunday afternoon. Dressed in jingle bells, the two reindeer appeared to be the main attraction at a Christmas block party in Uptown Village, which included face painting, toy making, an appearance by Santa Claus, cookies and hot chocolate, and an ice sculpture of a snowman.

“How many kids actually get to see live reindeer?” said Andria’s mom, Kayla Fuhrer of Gresham, Ore. “I told her Santa’s reindeer were going to be here, and she got super excited. … She absolutely loved it.”

Holland Greer, 6, of Ridgefield said seeing the reindeer was “awesome.” She added that her favorite reindeer is Blitzen, “because he has cool horns.” Holland said that her favorite part of seeing the reindeer was when one of the animals jumped up on the side of the pen.

Holland’s mother, Janae Greer, said her daughter asked the reindeer’s handler if the animals could fly. He told her that only Santa Claus can make the reindeer fly, and that Santa uses magic dust to pull it off.

The reindeer, both female, were from the Reindeer Express farm outside of Spokane. They travel around the region and recently spent some time in the Seattle area, said their handler, who declined to share his name.

Holland also was joined by her dad, Billy Greer, and her brother, 8-year-old Cameron Greer. The family said they just happened to be in Vancouver on Sunday and the holiday block party “sounded neat,” Janae Greer said. “It’s something different.”

The free event was organized by the Uptown Village Association and sponsored by local businesses. Organizers said that they are the only group in the region that they know of to host Christmas reindeer this season.

About a half-hour after the party started, the block between 23rd and 24th streets in Uptown Village was packed with a couple of hundred people.

A woman played “The First Noel” on a musical keyboard. In the background, the sounds of toy making could be heard as children hammered together wooden blocks to make toy snowmobiles. Helpers were on standby to wrap up the toys like presents.

Families continued to surround the reindeer petting area, as parents took photos of their children with the animals.

Kayla Fuhrer stood in line for cookies and hot chocolate with her mother, Lisa Fortenberry of Vancouver. She surveyed the festivities.

“It’s a great family event,” Fuhrer said.

Stevie Mathieu: 360-735-4523; stevie.mathieu@columbian.com; twitter.com/StevieMathieu

Stevie Mathieu

Columbian Assistant Metro Editor

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