Oakdale’s own Cowboy Santa offered visitors a unique opportunity to pet and visit with his trusty companion as he made his way into the plaza area of Gene Bianchi Community Center on Saturday. Young and old alike waited along the parking lot entrance to spy the horseback arrival of the treasured attendee. It was part of the annual Cowboy Christmas celebration for the community, which included a vendor faire, music and visits and photos with Santa himself.

A large number of vendors offering their wares filled the Gene Bianchi Community Center, Friday night and all day Saturday for the holiday shopper searching for that special unique gift or home décor item. The air was cool but the sun was bright as attendees perused the indoor and outside vendor booths during the Annual Cowboy Christmas event. This year’s event saw a large number of attendees proving to be yet another successful year for local shopping.