Woodlawn Regional Park has announced a pair of events to celebrate the upcoming Christmas season.
The first is the second annual Christmas in the Park on Dec. 17. The celebration will act as the kickoff for the Woodlawn Festival of Lights Tour, which is new for this year.
“We invite everyone in Estevan and the surrounding area to attend and help us celebrate the season,” said Woodlawn park board chairman Larry Preddy.
This year’s Christmas in the Park activities will centre around Rotary Park. Activities will begin at 2 p.m. and will include an old-fashioned family skate, horse-drawn sleigh rides through the park, a fun snowball tournament, Frisbee snow golf, bonfires to warm people up and other fun and games.
Santa, of course, will be available in Rotary Hall for pictures and with treats for the children.
There will be free hot dogs and hot chocolate throughout the afternoon sponsored by Southern Plains Co-op.
The celebration will culminate with a fireworks display at 6 p.m., after which the lights for the Festival of Lights will be lit for the first time.
“This is a free family-oriented event sponsored by Woodlawn Regional Park,” said park manager Joanne Schulte. “We hope one and all will attend and pack the park to celebrate the festive season.”
The Festival of Lights will see the park come alive for two weeks in December, with lights and sounds of the Christmas season.
“The public will be invited to take a drive through the snow-covered trails of Woodlawn to enjoy light displays brought to you by Woodlawn Regional Park and many of the businesses and community organizations in Estevan and surrounding area,” Schulte said.
All local businesses and community groups are invited to participate. For a $50 donation to the park to cover electrical costs, entrants will be allotted an area the approximate size of two campsites, with two 30-amp power outlets to build their light display.
Creations are only limited by the imaginations of the participating groups and can be reflective of their association, traditional Christmas themes and more.
Decorating will begin on Dec. 10 and be ready for lighting at the conclusion of the Christmas in the Park. The displays will be lit for free public viewing from dusk until 11 p.m., from Dec. 17 to Jan. 1.
There will be cash prizes for the best community/non-profit group display, for the best business display, and for the best overall display. Winners will be announced on Dec. 21 and recognized with a sign at their site.
“We hope local businesses, community organizations, service clubs, sporting groups and others will step up to the plate and build light displays,” said Preddy. “We see this as an excellent way to promote your businesses or organizations and show your community pride.”
