Chestermere is kicking off the holiday season with the third annual Winter Lights Festival on Nov. 24.
“It seemed to be a really good time to kick off the holiday season for the community,” said Chestermere Events Coordinator Nancie Huneault.
“We’ve had a really-really good response to this event,” Huneault said.
The Winter Lights Festival begins at 4 p.m., with a variety of events for the family to enjoy, she added.
The festival will include, performances from Chestermere High School bands, fire pits, food trucks, sleigh rides, ginger cookie decorating, small market, little toot train rides, fireworks, and the official lighting of the Christmas display will happen at 6 p.m.
There will also be ice princess performances, fire spinner performances, and a stilt walker performance throughout the evening for residents to enjoy.
“Each year we add a little bit more,” Huneault added, “They’ve added a few more reindeer to Santa’s sleigh, and incorporate more strings of lights on the trees.”
The Winter Lights Festival is the kickoff to the holiday season in the community, Huneault said.
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year. I think people really enjoy coming out and getting that festive feeling, and kicking it off, it’s the perfect time of year to start before the real Christmas holiday rush starts,” Huneault said.
She added, “It brings everybody out. People really enjoy seeing the lights turn on, they enjoy the fireworks, they enjoy seeing the entertainment, the ice princesses that come, they just enjoy all of the outdoor activities that are provided.”
The Winter Lights Festival has been really well received by the community, and grows each year, Huneault said.
It’s the time of year that makes the Winter Lights Festival successful each year, Huneault added.
“The spirit of the holidays makes people want to come out and watch the lights turn on and enjoy the festivities,” she said.
For Huneault, the best part of the Winter Lights Festival is watching the children get excited about the lights, and the children get excited about the ice princesses.
“Just watching families come together for the fireworks or coming out to listen to and support the high school band, it’s just the whole feel of the community,” Huneault said.
She added, “It’s really a nice feel to the event, it’s a real community feel.”
For more information on the Winter Lights Festival please visit the city of Chestermere website at www.chestermere.ca/220/Winter-Lights-Festival.
