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Kay Cee Gardens transforms for annual Christmas In the Park

November 28, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By Joshua Drakes

The Orangeville Optimist Club invites the community to kick off the holiday season at the annual Christmas in the Park opening night, happening at Kay Cee Gardens in Orangeville on Sunday, Dec. 1, at 6:30 p.m.

Christmas in the Park is a month-long celebration filled with festive cheer, featuring dazzling displays of Christmas lights, handcrafted decorations, and inflatable characters from cherished holiday movies. Visitors can also enjoy music and entertainment throughout the event’s run, and Santa Claus himself will make a special appearance.

This year, one of the highlights is a performance by the Ukuladies & Ukuladdies, a ukulele musical group based in Orangeville, adding a local touch to the festivities. The Campfire Poets will also be in the park, as well as choir groups. Guests can also enjoy hot chocolate, courtesy of the Orangeville Scouts.

Dennis Cox, chairman of Christmas in the Park, shared that while this marks the Optimist Club’s 32nd year organizing the event, it originally began with another group.

“It started, actually, about 34 to 35 years ago with the Orangeville Seniors,” he said. “And while they originally started it, they found they couldn’t keep up with putting it on every year. They were declining numbers and advancing in age, and it didn’t work too well for them,”

“So the Senior Center approached our Optimist Club to see if we would help out with it, and then we just kind of took it over.”

Since assuming responsibility for the event, the Optimist Club has prioritized keeping it fresh and exciting by continually expanding displays and introducing new features.

“This year we’ve got an additional robotic display,” Cox said. “Last year we had a Santa’s Workshop with movement in it. And this year we have a gingerbread house bakery, and it’s got a lot of movement in it. It’s got bakers rolling dough and making cookies, it’s all robotic.”

Beyond its festive displays, Christmas in the Park serves as a vital fundraiser for the Optimist Club and its partners, particularly youth organizations.

“That’s what the Optimists do – support youth groups,” he said. “So with the scouts, we give them supplies, and then they sell hot chocolate and raise funds for their activities. And the same with the Girl Guides. They’re coming in to sell their cookies, and then they raise funds for their activities. And that’s how we get them involved with this, so everyone helps each other out.”

Local businesses and community groups also play a role in the event’s success, contributing their own displays and sponsorships.

“We get support from local businesses and various groups and churches from around town,” Cox said. “These displays are a great complement to the park, and we’re always thrilled to see more contributions each year.”

According to Klaus Hoeg, another member of the Optimist Club, Christmas in the Park is the cornerstone of the club’s fundraising efforts.

“This is, after all, our biggest fundraiser,” Hoeg noted. “Local businesses support it, and it’s how we generate most of the funds that sustain our programs throughout the year.”

These initiatives go right back into serving the community, which is itself the greatest reward for the volunteers who put the lights and displays together every year. Seeing how much visitors love the park is what drives them the most.

“It’s terribly fulfilling for the volunteers that do go in and help put this thing together,” Hoeg said. “The biggest driver for us is the fulfillment, the joy we see in the kids’ faces once they get in here.”

With its magical atmosphere and strong community spirit, Christmas in the Park continues to shine as an Orangeville tradition, bringing people together and spreading holiday joy for a great cause.

The event kicks off Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m.

The Orangeville Optimist Club is always looking for more volunteers, and more information about volunteering and events coming to this year’s Christmas in The Park can be found on their website.

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