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HOLIDAY TRADITIONS
Light displays, holiday concerts, more under way in Tri-State
The Winter Wonderland of Lights at the Central Park in Ashland Friday, December 21, 2007.
Purchase this photoHUNTINGTON — So what if there is still turkey to be eaten and loads of shopping to be done? Whether you’re ready or not, it’s holiday time in the Tri-State.
That means there will be more plays, concerts, light displays, craft shows and Santa sightings than twinkle lights on Clark W. Griswold’s house.
There are several light displays worthy of a short drive. Ashland’s Winter Wonderland of Lights is not only one of the region’s top holiday attractions, but one of the state of Kentucky’s as well. The annual five-week long event runs from Nov. 17 to Jan. 2. It features more than 800,000 lights in Ashland’s 52-acre Central Park. There are train rides, visits with Santa and area neighborhood decorating contests to help add to the fun.
Other places worth checking out for the great light displays are the Christmas Light Show and Drive Thru from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. nightly Nov. 21 to Dec. 31 at Krodel Park in Point Pleasant; the St. Albans Festival of Lights in St. Albans, W.Va., and of course there is the Olgebay Winter Festival of Arts in Wheeling — checking in as one of the nation’s largest light displays — from Nov. 5 to Jan. 4.
There are Christmas parades still to come in Ironton (Dec. 1) and Huntington (Dec. 2).
Special concerts are on tap courtesy of David Phelps (Dec. 19), the Huntington Symphony Orchestra (Dec. 20-21) and Trace Adkins (Dec. 12). Faith in Action of the River Cities will have the sixth annual Heritage Holidays Concerts at the Log Cabin Church at Heritage Farm featuring the group Blackbirds and Thrushes. Concerts are at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12 and 13 as well as 3 p.m. Dec. 13 and 14.
There are many other special events such as the Ashland Youth Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker,” the Arts Resources of the Tri-State’s production of “The 1940s Radio Hour,” the Marshall Artists Series event “The Wizard of Oz,” and the Christmas Karaoke Sing Along at Pullman Square which will feature local choirs and entertainers along with free hot chocolate and apple cider.
Along the way, there also are plenty of opportunities for holiday cooking, decorated homes tours, craft-making and shopping to help you and your family make lots of special memories this holiday season and ring in the new year.
