Winter Wonderland is a two-
mile drive through an electric
park at the top of Springfield
Road featuring all of the floats
from the Festival of Lights
Parade, past floats and a myriad
of other lighted attractions that
people slowly pass through with
their car lights turned off for
maximum effect.
Among the most popular
attractions are those where rein-
deer seem to leap in an arc over
the road while skiers seems to fly
downhill from the upper part of
the park to the lower road.
“
Because we need several days
after the parade to get Winter
Wonderland ready, those people
who come to the area for Thanks-
giving don’t get the opportu-
nity to see Winter Wonderland.
This way, when they are sitting
around after the big Thanksgiv-
ing meal wondering what to do,
they can get in the car and come
see it,” Swan said.
Winter Wonderland is a major
fundraiser for FOLEPI, helping
the organization keep the lights
flickering every year, he said. So
getting more people through it
helps the city, which doesn’t keep
profits from Winter Wonderland;
rather, it invests money back into
it to try and make it bigger and
better every year, he added.
“
It’s like anything else, you
have to pay for it. And we’ve
done a good job of getting spon-
sorships to help with the costs
and with reducing our costs so
that it is self-sufficient,” Swan
said.
Cars and family vans are
charged $10 each to drive
through while buses are charged
more. “We think for $10 a car-
load, it’s a good bargain. People
love it,” he said.
Other holiday-related events in East
Peoria include:
•
The 24-hour narrated Nativity
Scene at the corner of Taylor and
Springfield Roads. The narration
last two minutes as you drive
slowly past the scenes of the
Nativity.
•
“
Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dream Coat,” Nov.
30
through Dec. 9 at Eastlight
Theatre.
WALKIN’ IN
WASHINGTON
Washington has something
not many other communities
can boast: A town square that is
the hub of much activity in the
Tazewell County community a
few miles east of Peoria.
That’s why the Candlelight
Stroll each year takes place on
the square from 6 to 9 p.m. and
features the lighting of the com-
munity Christmas tree preceded
by the community Christmas
Sing. This year the event is Dec.
6
and the Christmas sing starts
at 6:30 p.m. The tree lighting is at
7:15
p.m.
The Washington Specialty
Shops will be open until 9 p.m.,
carriage rides will be available
from 6 to 8 p.m. and Santa will be
at Denhart’s Washington Room
from 6 to 8 p.m.
The Candlelight Stroll is an
important event for Washington
as a community, said Chevie
Ruder, executive director of the
Washington Chamber of Com-
merce. “It really brings out the
whole community and has that
old-time feel to it to have people
gather around the square when
the mayor lights the Christmas
tree on what is normally a chilly,
crisp evening,” she said.
16
thePeorian.com
The Present
