Next week is Thanksgiving, which means Christmas is just around the corner!
Every year in November, I begin dreading the routine of making sure everything is ready for the holidays. But once lights begin to go up, the excitement builds as everyone hurries on their way to complete the project tasks at hand.
I love to attend an event where the Christmas lights, smells, and excitement come alive. The 8th Annual Foster Falls Festival of Lights will be held December 2 -3, 2011, from 4 – 8 p.m. each evening.
Annual Foster Falls Festival of Lights will be held at New River Trail State Park
Christmas lights usher in the holiday season at New River Trail State Park
Since 2003, New River Trail State Park has hosted Foster Falls Festival of Lights. In the beginning the event started with a couple hundred people in attendance, now over two thousand people visit each night. In 2010, local organizations within the community came together with donations and support to keep this area tradition alive. If not for the tireless efforts put forth by park staff and volunteers this event couldn’t exist. Each year, people agree to make ornaments that line the Christmas trees inside of Santa’s village. Volunteers also provide and serve hot drinks and snacks and help with parking our guests. Last year, the festival was a huge success. In one night, over 900 visitors came to the park, 115 children visited Santa, and 975lbs of canned food items and 205 unopened toys were donated. The food collected goes to the Agape Food Pantry of Wytheville, and the toy donations go to Santa’s Workshop sponsored by Wytheville Department of Social Services.
Free horse drawn carriage rides
Once again, this year a donation of a non-perishable canned good or a new unopened toy will be the admission fee for this event.Enjoy free horse-drawn wagon rides and antique tractor hayrides. Warm up afterwards with complimentary hot chocolate, coffee and pastries. Visit Santa and tell him about your holiday wishes. We hope to see you there!
New River Trail State Park is located at 176 Orphanage Dr., Foster Falls, VA 24360; Phone: (276) 699-6778; email: newrivertrail. Learn more about park offerings by calling 1-800-933-PARK or email resvs.