Runners are invited to enjoy the Blissfield Village Christmas decorations and warm up with a hot beverage after the Second Annual Hot-Cha-Cha 5K Mug Run Friday, Dec. 13.
The new event was added to Blissfield Village’s Wassail Festival last year and this year will occur on Friday, Dec. 13. The Hot-Cha-Cha 5K Mug Run will take off from the beautifully decorated downtown, wind through the village neighborhoods, then end up back downtown for either hot wassail or hot chocolate.
The Wassail Fest is presented by Blissfield Rotary and hosted by Blissfield DDA/Main Street Program. The Hot-Cha-Cha 5K Mug Run aspect is sponsored by the Miss River Raisin Festival Scholarship Program and co-sponsored by Blissfield Coney Island and Borchardt Brothers Market.
The runners will actually receive a mug that will enter them into the Wassail Festival’s tour of sites in downtown businesses where competing versions of hot wassail, a wine-and-fruit based holiday beverage, will be sampled. For non-drinkers or runners who are younger than 21, a cocoa mug will be provided for a mugful of hot chocolate at the Blissfield Coney Island. Water will also be provided to all runners.
There are a limited number of official Wassail mugs, which will be awarded on a first-come basis. Late-registering runners may receive an alternate mug if the Wassail mugs are sold out, which will be honored at the Wassail stops.
And just announced, the first 220 runners to register will receive a commemorative flashing light pin for safety through the sponsorship of Blissfield State Bank.
Runners are asked to wear reflective clothing for safety’s sake. Costumes of the season are welcome. The night run takes off at 6:30 p.m. Registration for the run begins at 5:30 p.m. at the red tent-top on Lane Street. Pre-registration is encouraged. Entries are available at The Advance, 121 Newspaper Street., Blissfield, or can be downloaded at www.blissfield.net. To be emailed a form, please email advance@cass.net.
The Wassail Festival begins at 6 p.m.
The awards ceremony will follow the race with medals to the overall male and female winner and the top two finishers in each male and female age division: 6-12, 13-15, 16-20, 21-35, 36-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-plus.
Those runners opting for Wassail mugs will be able to vote for their favorite beverage along the Wassail Trail in downtown Blissfield.
The Hot-Cha-Cha-Mug Run price is $25 for those 16 and older; $12 for kids 6-15; with a family rate of $60 (limit of two adults per family which must live in the same household; additional runners beyond the two in that household qualifying as adults $25).
Non-runners can register to participate in the Wassail festival for $12 at the Wassail Festival tent. For more information, please email advance@cass.net or call 517-486-2400 during business hours.