Santa visits, bell-ringers, Christmas music, craft fairs, a parade and horse drawn wagon rides are a few of the events taking place this weekend during the Winthrop Lakes Region Holiday Festival in the communities of Winthrop, Wayne, Readfield and Monmouth, according to a press release from the local chamber.

The weekend festival begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday with the annual tree lighting and caroling at the Readfield Community Library, 1151 Main St. The festivities will continue at the Readfield Town Office with cookies and cocoa.

At 9 a.m. Saturday, the Wayne Holiday Stroll begins and continues through 5 p.m. Local crafters, potters, jam makers and bakers in Wayne Village will open their doors for holiday shoppers. The stroll will also be held from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.

In Monmouth, the town’s annual breakfast with Santa takes place from 7 to 10 a.m. Saturday at the Monmouth Fire Department’s Central Station on Main Street. Tickets are $6 per person or $20 per family.

Also Saturday, craft fairs begin at 9 a.m. at the Winthrop Grade School on Highland Avenue, the Winthrop Congregational Church on Main Street and St. Andrew’s Church, 219 Winthrop Center Road. Proceeds from the Winthrop High School Student Council grade school fair will benefit the Winthrop Food Pantry.

The Friends of the Bailey Public Library in Winthrop will hold its pie sale from 10 a.m. to noon at the Bowdoin Street library. At 10:30 a.m., children are invited to attend the library’s 100th anniversary party and dress in their favorite book character costume. The library will hold an open house at 12:30 p.m., which will feature the Winthrop Area Hand Bell Ringers and a brief talk about the library’s history.

Free horse-drawn wagon rides will also be offered from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The wagons, sponsored by the Winthrop Plays Outside committee, will depart at Town Hall Lane.

The highlight of the day — the 32nd Annual Winthrop Holiday Parade, sponsored by the Winthrop Lakes Region Chamber — will begin 3:30 p.m. Saturday, starting at Cumberland Farms and continuing through downtown Main Street. Following the parade, the Payson Tucker Fire Station will host a visit with Santa.

The Kennebec Performing Arts Company will cap Saturday’s holiday festival with its holiday concert at 7 p.m. at the Winthrop High School’s Performing Arts Center on Rambler Road. Tickets are $10 at the door for adults. Students K-12 get in free.

For more information, contact the Winthrop Lakes Region Chamber at 377-8020 or info@winthropchamber.org.