The smell of Christmas is in the air as Westmoreland State Park breaks out the cookies, hot cider and their "Santa's Best" award-winning winterfloat.
December 9, 2012 from 2-6 p.m.WestmorelandState Park is inviting everyoneto the beautiful Helen and Tayloe Murphy Hall for refreshments, a warm fireplacedecorated with stockings, activities for the kids and a chance to mingle meet park staff.Stop by ourVisitor Center to find that unique gift forthe person who's hard to shop for.We're offeringa 1-day only sale of20% off all store merchandise.
If you are up for aquiet winter hike, you cantrek from Murphy Hall down Big Meadows Trail to Fossil Beach. Directions and guides will be available at the information table. There you can hunt for shark’s teeth and eight million year old fossils!
Daniel C.Raccoon will be there after a successful morning of passing out candy canes at the parade and posing for pictures with park staff as they hope to reclaim theirvictory for the "Santa's Best" category at the Warsaw Winter Parade (Edited to add: The parade is December 2, 2012)
Last year's parade featured monster trucks, modern and antique tractors, historic automobiles, the famous Clydesdale horses outfitted in jingle bellspullinga wagon with a Christmas treeon top! The parade is such a joyful event with children smiling, holiday themed floats passing by,and of course, the one-and-only, Santa Clause on his sleigh. Ittruly brings the feeling of the Christmas spirit!
The parade hasbecome a park tradition, getting the marshmallows ready to roast, gathering the critters and reindeer,fresh pine garland and Santa hats to go around…it's a lot of work, but worth it to see all the smiling faces lining the streets. Park Manager, Ken Benson andstaff accompany the floatand enjoy using this opportunity to invite the community into the park later that afternoon for the Open House.
"We want to open our house to the public and invitethem in for anafternoon of refreshments and holidaymusic…we had fantastic attendance last year, there were about 60or morepeople- it wasa really great day." -Park Manager, Ken Benson