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Christmas in the Park

December 7, 2016   ·   0 Comments

The festive season officially arrived in Orangeville this past weekend as the 24^th annual Christmas in the Park kicked off with a bang at Kay Cee Gardens.

Hundreds of people from far and wide descended upon the beautifully decorated site located between Bythia Street and John Street on Friday (Dec. 2) as representatives from the Optimist Club of Orangeville, with a little help from some special guests, led the official opening night lighting ceremony. The annual tradition has served to truly announce the arrival of Christmas in Orangeville in recent years and this latest offering did not disappoint.

With more than 50,000 Christmas lights scattered amongst the trees and throughout the park and a wonderful collection of festive displays set up along its walkways, Christmas in the Park certainly has the capabilities to take one’s breath away. Throw in the nightly performances and special attractions, general community camaraderie and regular visits from Santa Claus himself at his own personal grotto at the heart of the park and you’ve got yourself the perfect recipe to truly embrace the Christmas spirit.

Officially launched by the Orangeville Senior’s Centre back in 1993 and adopted by the Optimist Club of Orangeville in 1996, Christmas in the Park has wowed thousands upon thousands of children and adults alike with its ever-evolving festive displays. Speaking to the Citizen prior to the event’s launch, chair of the Christmas in the Park committee Derek Bennett said he was excited for what he hoped would be another incredible season.

“Christmas in the Park truly has been a community staple for almost 25 years now, it’s always such a fantastic event and we’ve got big plans for this year,” Mr. Bennett said. “We’ve got a full schedule lined up that takes us from Dec. 2 right through to Dec. 31, so there really is going to be something for everyone to enjoy during this season.”

He added, “This is the official opening of Christmas in Orangeville. It’s December now, there are carols on the radio and the lights are turned on in Kay Cee Gardens. Christmas is here.”

Featured alongside the numerous festive displays throughout the park are a number of recently implemented attractions, most notably the Peruvian alpacas and breathtaking ice sculptures that were on show over the opening weekend. Other staples of this year’s schedule include ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ readings by Theatre Orangeville’s Artisitic Director David Nairn, free hot chocolate and apple cider served by the 3^rd and 4^th Orangeville Scouts and BBQ Bandwagon providing hot food items for visitors at the John Street entrance.

This year’s special attractions kicked off on opening night with a Land of the Glass Slipper performance in which several Disney princesses made their way to the park to pose for pictures with star struck children. The Traveling Wannabes will be at the gazebo in Kay Cee Gardens on Dec. 6, 13 and 16 while the Orangeville Music Theatre will perform on Dec. 9. Westminster United Church Celebration Choir will bring their wonderful sound to life at Christmas in the Park on Dec. 11 and the Theatre Orangeville Youth Singers will be on hand Dec. 21 and 23.

“Because we run every night from now until New Year’s Eve and because we have so much going on, I’d recommend that people pick a couple of nights where they want to do the most and be amazed,” Mr. Bennett said. “We’re really encouraging people to treat this as a multi-night event as opposed to coming out once and that being it. There’s something different going on here every night, it’s great family fun. What isn’t there to love.”

He added, “People ask us all the time why we do this and if you want a direct quote I would simply say that this is where we live. We have members at the Optimist club that have been helping to run this for decades. Their kids, when they were young, got to live through Christmas in the Park and truly experience it and now that they’re grown up, they’re bringing their own families through. My daughter is six years old and 20 years from now I want her to be able to bring her family through to celebrate Christmas. This has been a huge event for the Town over the past 24 years and I hope to see it continue for many, many more years to come.”

Christmas in the Park is a completely free event. Organizers are encouraging visitors to park in the Edelbrock Centre parking lot located on Centre Street – just one block away from all the fun and festivities. Christmas in the Park is open nightly until Dec. 31 and runs from 5:30pm until 10pm. For more information, visit orangevilleoptimists.ca.

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