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Winter Wonderland Lights Festival opens Saturday
The fourth-annual Winter Wonderland Lights Festival will take place Dec. 2-Jan. 6 at Robe-Ann Park in Greencastle, Friends of the Park has announced.
“The Visitors Center launched this program in 2020 with the leadership of Kate Knaul and the help of the Greencastle Civic League, agreeing to a five-year sponsorship with a goal to increase local quality of life and add to the county’s winter events that encourage people to drive in and visit,” Eric Freeman, executive director of the Putnam County Convention and Visitors Bureau said. “At the outset, no one realized the impact Covid would have on holiday gatherings, and this festival remains doubly impactful because it can be enjoyed with a stroll through the park or from the warmth of a car.
“We also didn’t realize that in three years it would become a holiday tradition. It became so successful that it is a model for a goal in the county’s five-year outdoor recreation master plan to light the covered bridges.”
Now under the Friends of the Park, the event continues to grow. More than tripled in size from the first year’s festival, 300,000-plus lights now span nearly every corner of the park. More than 70 volunteers have installed the lights through the course of November. A special thanks goes to Allison Leer, who was instrumental in helping connect power to the lights.
As a kickoff to this year’s event, on Dec. 2 the Greencastle Civic League is sponsoring the third-annual Holiday Parade beginning at 3 p.m., starting at Greencastle High School and ending at the bandshell at Robe-Ann Park. Santa will be available directly after for visits and pictures.
From 2-6 p.m. there will be a variety of games and activities, sponsored by Greencastle Parks and Recreation. Also from 2-6 p.m. there will be a craft and vendor market in Shelter No. 2, next to the skatepark. Community members are asked to join at the bandshell at about 5:30 p.m. for a countdown to turn on the lights.
The lights display continues to be open and free to the public as a result of the generosity of donors, large and small. Nancy Michael of First National Bank spoke about being a major donor for this year’s event.
“First National Bank is proud to be sponsoring the Winter Lights Festival,” Michael said. “We appreciate the opportunity to help celebrate the joy, peace, and the spirit of Christmas to friends and families who visit Robe-Ann Park. Wishing everyone a merry Christmas that is filled with hope and wonderful memories.”
In addition to the Putnam County Convention and Visitors Bureau and First National Bank, thanks go to other donors, including Hendricks Regional Health, Jedele Enterprises Inc. – McDonald’s, the Greencastle Civic League, Ruoff Mortgage, Greencastle Pediatric Dentistry and the Putnam County Community Foundation.
The Friends of the Park supports outdoor recreation and nature-related projects throughout the county. Learn more about the Winter Wonderland Lights Festival, including how to volunteer and donate, by visiting www.putnamcountywinterlights.org.